


Cerulean Chaos Amidst the Dark Forest

by nourahl28



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Panic Attacks, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:02:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 138,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27992715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nourahl28/pseuds/nourahl28
Summary: 16-year-old Harry Styles moved to a new city with his mother and sister to start a new life, away from his traumatic past. He was once a bubbly child but grown quiet and closed off after what happened with him and his father. His mother owned a cafe, where he would work part-time once he got settled in his new school. He dreaded to go to his new school, mainly because it was always hard for him to make friends, and his quiet nature didn't help. But that soon changed when he stepped foot into the school, where he met the friendly clerk, a radiant Irish blonde, a sensible puppy-eyed lad, a cheeky Greek God, and a literal knight in a shining armour.With them, he learned to let loose, laugh, live the life that he had always dreamed of, and eventually, fell in love with a pretty boy. But would he let his nightmares hunt him down every time he felt happy, or would he tame his demons and follow the sun?
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan/Original Female Character(s), Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 126
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So quarantine had caused me to revisit my writer state of mind, but really, this is my first ever fanfic that I never thought I'd write and publish, because I have this nagging feeling that I'm not good enough and I'm super nervous to share my work but hey, everyone feels that, right? In order to move forward, we need to push ourselves out of our comfort zones, so this is my first step. There are a lot of H & L high school AUs, but I wanted them to be high school sweethearts and the story continues until they're established adults. I'm always fascinated by that kind of story, a love so strong that is empowering, successfully facing every obstacle in life for the much deserved happy ending. Thus, I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I did while I'm writing it.
> 
> As I mentioned, this is my first fanfic, and it is chaptered, so I apologise in advance for any mistakes and mishaps, and I'd really appreciate it if you can give comments and feedbacks as those will help me improve my storyline and writing. Please leave kudos too if you'd like :)
> 
> Thank you so much for taking your time to read this if you happen to stumble upon it!

# Green Meets Blue

  


  


The school building looked intimidating despite the warm beige and chocolate painting the walls and ledges, lush plants with various flowers decorating each pathway to the buildings, giving the illusion of walking in a beautiful garden. A fancy, giant clock mounted high up at the main building, effectively reminding the students about punctuality. Students were walking by each other, chattering about happily, and some were rushing around, politely apologising when they bumped into others. It’s 15 minutes to 8, justifying the rush, but some (probably seniors) were still taking their sweet time flirting and making out, earning whistles and snickers from their friends.

  


Dread started creeping into Harry. He always had a hard time adjusting himself in a new environment, and now that he’s transferred from Holmes Chapel to Doncaster, everything was overwhelming. The town’s a bit bigger, the school’s grander, and everyone seemed to know each other already. _Of course they know each other, dummy. They’re born and raised here._

Harry had always been the odd one; oddly quiet, but always got attention to himself somehow. He often wondered what made people to even spare a glance at him, considering that he never actively involved himself in making friends. In fact, throughout his 16 years of life, he had only one friend, Ed, a ginger head who was extremely talented in music. When Ed moved away, he almost hyperventilated, the fear had taken root so deep that he found it hard to cope without his best friend around. It took his mum and sister a lot of time reassuring him that he’d be alright, and his mum convinced him that moving was the best decision. And so, here he was, away from the place he once called _home_ , just to start a new life and kept his dependence on Ed at bay.

Harry shook his head, closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath before stepping forwards to enter the main building amongst the sea of students. He needed to get his student ID from the registration office, so with another 10 minutes to spare, he followed the direction to the office, getting a few glances and friendly smiles as he walked past. He returned the gesture albeit awkwardly, focusing his vision to the wooden door with the “REGISTRATION” plaque in black and gold glued to the middle of the door. He pushed the door, immediately greeted by a gentle-looking woman in her early thirties, smiling warmly at him.

“Good morning. How can I help you?”

Harry swallowed. “G-good m-morning. I- um- I’m new, my name is Harry Styles and I’m told to collect my ID and schedule here?” He fiddled with his rings, face showing discomfort as he tried to smile. The woman gave him a nod, warm smile never leaving her lips.

“Yes, that’s correct. Please wait a moment as I search for your ID.”

The woman, Rebecca, from what her nametag told Harry, rummaged around a compartment on her desk before fishing out a card and a piece of paper and passed it to him. “Here you go, Mr Styles. Your ID and schedule. Do you need someone to show you your class?”

Harry contemplated on the question before giving a defeated sigh. “Um- if it’s okay?”

To his surprise, Rebecca gave a soft laugh. “You’re so polite, Mr Styles. Make sure to make friends with the _good kind_ , okay?” She smiled softly, and Harry finally relaxed, rewarding her his genuine smile. “Now, as for your tour guide-”

“Rebecca! Can I have my schedule please? I forgot where I put it.” A blonde boy with a thick Irish accent burst into the room, his loud voice startling Harry. He went to stand beside Harry, grinning widely at Rebecca who shook her head with amusement.

“You _always_ forgot your schedule, Niall.” She typed his name in the computer and printed out Niall’s schedule. She handed it to him. “Here you go.”

Niall took the paper and saluted her. “Thanks, Bec! You’re a lifesaver!” He turned to leave before Rebecca called him again.

“Yes?”

“Niall, since you have the same first period with Mr Styles here,” she pointed towards Harry who was silently watching the friendly exchange between them with wide eyes. “Can you please walk with him? He’s new, and I know you love playing tour guide.” She wiggled her eyebrows, causing Niall to laugh.

“Sure thing!” He turned to Harry, still grinning. “I’m Niall, freshman. English for first period?”

Harry nodded, unable to utter a word to the bubbly boy.

Niall put his arm around his shoulder then, gently grabbing him as he walked. “Great, now let’s go before the bell rings.” He looked over his shoulder to wave towards Rebecca. “Bye, Bec! See you later!”

Harry heard her chuckled lightly, thinking about how friendly they are before Niall interrupted his thoughts.

“So, why did you move here?”

Harry tensed. He didn’t really want to talk about his move; the wound still felt fresh in his heart and mind. He peered over to the blonde, seeing a sincere smile plastered on his face before sighing. “Some family problem. Moved here from Holmes Chapel.”

Niall nodded. “I moved here several years back. My parents were divorced, so my mum took me here to start a new life. Been here ever since.” He smiled reassuringly, his eyes showing understanding that Harry didn’t want to tell more than that.

Harry appreciated the gesture. He smiled back. “That’s rough.”

“It was, at first. But it gets easier over time. Found some really great friends here, got into some troubles too, but in the end, everything was worth it.” He grinned widely, eyes casted faraway, clearly reminiscing some memories. Harry’s smile widened, already feeling at ease with the boy. Something about Niall helped him to relax, with how the boy already treating him like they’d known each other for years.

“Good for you. Hope I can meet that kind of friends too.”

Niall looked at him, expression soft. “Don’t worry, Harry. I’ll be your first friend, and I’d love to introduce you to my friends. They’ll love you, trust me.” He winked. Harry snorted, and they stopped in front of a classroom, entering it as soon as the bell rings. Harry took a deep breath, still tucked under Niall’s arm as he dragged him to the back seat and ushered him to the empty seat by the window. Students start filling in the classroom, and soon, their teacher came in, starting the class.

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

His first lesson went without a hitch, and Niall accompanied him to his second lesson which is History before he left for Math. Harry felt alone and awkward, already used to the blonde’s buzzing energy but he pushed through, entering the classroom which was only half full. The teacher was already in, so he walked towards him to ask for his seat.

The teacher looked up. “Oh, I take it that you’re the new student? Harry Styles?”

Harry nodded. “Yes, Sir, I’m Harry.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Um- does this class have seating arrangements?”

Mr Greene, his History teacher smiled. “No, Harry. You’re free to sit wherever you please.”

He sighed, relieved. “Thank you, Sir.”

Harry walked towards the very back of the class, right next to the window. It’s his favourite spot, as it helped to reduce his anxiety by looking out to the sky or just the freedom of observing the whole world moving outside the building. He spaced out rather quickly, eyes flickering to the flock of cottony clouds parading around the cerulean sky, giving the impression of calm and peace upon the mortals who wished to watch and admire it. He was brought back to reality when the chair next to him squeaked, and he turned his head to find another brunette with kind, puppy eyes, smiling at him.

“Hello, I’m Liam.” He stretched out his hand, which Harry grabbed with an easy smile. _The people he met so far had been polite and kind_ , he thought.

“Hi, I’m Harry.”

He hummed. “Haven’t seen you around. Must be new then?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, just moved here last week.”

Liam smiled. “Well, welcome to Doncaster. I’ve been here my whole life. Peaceful, a little boring but with the right people, you’ll be surprised.” Harry giggled, finding the words eerily similar to what Niall had said, in different perspectives. They exchanged a few pleasantries before Mr Greene started his class, outlining their syllabus and explaining about class projects, offering a Q&A session in the last 5 minutes before wrapping up when the bell rings. Harry stood up, putting his things in his bag and slung it to his shoulder.

“What’s your next class, Harry?”

“Um- Music, I think.”

Liam beams. “Me too! Let’s go together then.” Harry nodded excitedly, pleased that this time someone has the same class as him so he wouldn’t feel as guilty as when Niall dropped him earlier. They walked towards the Arts Building, chatting as they took the stairs to second floor where their classroom and practice rooms resided. They were early, so they took the three-seater at the back. Harry was a bit hesitant, but followed Liam anyways. Liam seemed to sense his discomfort so he looked at him reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, in this school, they don’t have seating arrangements so we can just sit anywhere we want.”

He sighed happily. “Do you, um- do you mind if I sit by the window? It calms me down.”

“Not at all, Harry. Told you there are no seating arrangements.” Liam chuckled, causing Harry’s cheeks to turn pink. He thanked him and took his seat. The view was even more breath-taking here; a large, cupid-shaped fountain stood tall in the middle of the quad, marble benches situated right under the shadiest trees, with flowers circling the quad. The grass was well-trimmed, and there were students lounging around in their free periods.

“Hey Liam! Been a while!”

Harry jumped up in his seat a little, snapping his head to see the new boy only to find Niall patting Liam’s back with a face-splitting grin.

“And Harry, we meet again!” Niall enveloped him in a hug, warmth flooding through his every being. He couldn’t help but laugh, happy to see his first friend.

Liam was a bit confused. “Wait, you two know each other?”

Niall and Harry nodded simultaneously. “Yeah, went to registration this morning, forgot my schedule and met him there. He looked like a scared puppy, I tell you.” He laughed at that, while Harry pouted. “Then Bec asked if I could show him his class, turned out we had English together so we became friends!”

Liam wore a big smile. “So, 2 out of 4.” Niall grinned.

Harry’s brows furrowed. “ _2 out of 4_? What does that mean?”

Liam and Niall exchanged an amused look. “Well, remember when I said I found great friends?” Harry nodded. “Liam’s one of them. We got two more, thick as thieves, those two.” They both chuckled. “You’ll meet one of them in your Arts class later.”

“And the last one?”

“You’ll meet him in PE, but we don’t have PE today so it’s just the three of us.” Liam nodded. “He’s supposed to join us for lunch today, but apparently he got detention.” They laughed at that, amused with the information. Seems like this one is quite troublesome, Harry thought.

Niall shook his head. “No, he’s not troublesome, don’t you worry. He’s just all over the place when he’s _supposed_ to be in class.”

“Did you just read my mind, Niall?”

He barked a loud laugh. “Oh, Harry, I don’t have to have superpowers when everything is written all over your face!”

Harry blushed deep red. He forgot he’s an open book with hidden scars. He wanted to retort but then their teacher waltzed in with a blinding smile, introducing herself as Ms Long. She talked passionately about the origin of music, along with the extended history and shared a few Mozart pieces that she enjoyed. She mentioned that by next lesson, they’ll be having group projects, and the details would be explained in that class. The class was dismissed as the bell rang, and with quick direction from Liam, he sauntered over to his Arts class, brushing past the crowded hallway, raising his anxiety a bit, heaving a huge breath when he found his class.

The studio was large and cosy, with blank canvases already set up in the middle of the studio. He took the one nearest to the window, finding that the blue sky had gone grey, indicating the incoming rain. The clouds seemed heavy, meaning that soon, the rain would pour down. He grabbed his jacket tighter on instinct, startling when someone plopped down to the seat beside him. He looked over, jaw almost dropped open at the sight of the Greek God; hazel eyes, long eyelashes, dark hair styled into a quiff, ears pierced and he could see some tattoos peeking out from the collar of his shirt.

Overall, his very existence screamed _bad boy_.

“You okay mate?”

His honeyed voice jerked Harry from his thoughts. He blinked towards the boy, now sporting a smirk.

“You could be a model.”

He snorted. “You think?”

“Yeah, you’d be a hit right away.” Harry was telling the truth. _With that look, he could kill any model’s career effortlessly._

The dark-haired lad was grinning, genuinely amused. “I’ll think about that. I’m Zayn, by the way.”

“Harry.” He shook Zayn’s outstretched hand firmly, trying to mask his nervousness at the presence of a literal model in front of him. Zayn raised his eyebrows, smirking as he let go of their hands when the teacher walked in. They were asked to draw something that made them happy, so Harry opted to draw his black and white cat lounging lazily on the couch like a king it is. He peeked towards Zayn’s canvas, his eyes bulging out of his sockets upon seeing a realistic image of the moon and its reflection on water.

“Wow.” He breathed out. “That’s fucking amazing.”

Zayn grinned. “Thanks. The moon always had an impact on me, and I’ve always loved art.”

“You’re proper talented, mate.” Harry was _completely_ in awe. “Damn, what else can you do?”

He leaned closer to Harry, his smirk full of mischief. “My _boyfriend_.”

Harry’s eyes widened comically, quickly straightening up, face flushed red. Zayn tilted his head back and laughed, earning a glare from their teacher and questioning looks from their classmates. Harry tried to hide his face behind the canvas, coughing lightly as Zayn recovered from his laugh.

“Wasn’t kidding though. But your reaction was _priceless_.”

Harry rolled his eyes, the corner of his lips quirking up into a smile. He shook his head as Zayn continued working on his piece with a grin, and Harry took his fallen brush to complete the painting. _He sure found a lot of interesting people on his first day._

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

He walked with Zayn after their class, and surprisingly, their lockers were near each other so they continued their chat but soon interrupted by a group of jocks who had taken notice of Harry and decided to harass him.

“Hey there pretty, new here?” One of the jocks (probably the leader) with auburn hair licked his lips while looking at Harry up and down hungrily. He stepped closer to Harry, pinning him against the locker. Harry’s anxiety spiked, he looked at the predator with fear in his eyes.

“Back off, Josh.” Zayn pushed Josh away, standing in front of Harry protectively, eyes zeroed on Josh. Josh sneered, eyes going back and forth between Harry and Zayn.

“I just want to have a little bit of _fun_ with the new kid, Zayn. He seems like a _good boy_.” Josh drawled out the last two words suggestively, sending shivers down Harry’s spine. He felt a lump in his throat, disgust evident in his very being but he’s unable to react; the lump constricting his airway. His eyes were locked at Zayn’s hair.

“No one messes with _my friend_ , Josh.” Zayn stepped closer, and even though Josh was a foot taller than him, he managed to look intimidating, his voice low, threatening. “You know that better than anyone.”

Josh stared back at Zayn’s hard gaze, teeth gritted and jaws clenched. He spared a final look at Harry, smirking. “See you around, sweetie.”

Zayn watched as the group strutted away, harassing some other people in the hallway. He turned around to Harry, only to find the boy staring blankly at him, fear clouding his eyes.

“Harry? Are you with me, mate?”

The moment Zayn touched his shoulder, Harry snapped and ran towards the toilet. He leaned against the wall, his breathing came out shallow and ragged. He slid down the wall, bringing his knees to his chest, hugging them and burying his head on his knees. Fresh tears fell down his cheeks as he sobbed pathetically.

Zayn arrived not long after, reaching out to gently put a hand on his shoulder but Harry swatted his hand away.

“No! P-p-please no! D-d-don’t hurt me!”

Harry was sobbing hysterically; his breathing had started to come out in puffs. Images of him being pinned down with a hand covering his mouth flashed against his eyes as he tried to rid the horrible flashback by clenching his eyes tightly shut, but failed miserably. He started to hyperventilate.

Zayn’s eyes widened in horror as he watched. He didn’t know what to do, but he knew someone who had handled this, so he took out his phone and dialled a number. In just two rings, the number picked up.

_“What’s up Z?”_

“Come to the bathroom near the lockers now!”

_“What? What happened?”_ The voice sounded concerned, and Zayn could hear him running.

“Just… hurry up.” He hung up and tried to whisper soothing words to Harry, but he wouldn’t respond. He kept on mumbling pleas, battling an inner demon with his eyes shut. Someone banged the door open, and Zayn had never been more relieved to see him.

His eyes flickered back between Harry and Zayn. “What happened, Z? Who is he?”

Zayn pulled him down in front of Harry. “No time to explain. Just help him!”

His expression was utterly confused, but he knew he had to act fast, so he tentatively grabbed Harry and brought him to his chest. Harry thrashed a bit but he tightened his hold.

“Ssh, you’re okay, mate. No one is going to hurt you. I’m here. You’ll be alright, I promise. Focus on my heartbeat.” Harry grabbed the sides of his shirt tightly, crying his heart out in his hold. His sobs were heart-breaking; like a child begging to be released from whatever torture he’s experiencing. “Let it all out love. I’m here. You’re okay.”

Eventually, Harry’s cries had quietened. All that’s left was his sniffles and residual sobs as he tried to focus on the calming heartbeat, timing his breaths in time with every beat. He felt the stranger caressing his head gently, while his other hand cradled the back of his neck, whispering soothing words in his ear.

“That’s it, breath with my heartbeat. In, out, in, out. Just like that. You’re doing good love.”

Harry didn’t know why, but the stranger’s voice was so calming that it settled his nerves almost immediately. No one had been able to calm him down this quickly before, not even his mum and sister. He followed the stranger’s instructions, and when he’s calmed enough, he slowly released his grips on his shirt and pulled back. He stared at the tear-stained shirt before slowly looking up to the stranger.

“You okay now?”

Harry’s eyes were watery, but even in the clouded vision, he could still make out the concerned ocean eyes, the colour so blue and deep that he felt he could drown in them. Those were the prettiest eyes he had ever laid his eyes upon, and for once, inside a stranger’s eyes, _Harry felt safe._

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay now.” His voice was hoarse from all the crying, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He offered a weak smile. “Thank you.”

The boy smiled. “It’s no problem. But let’s get you home, yeah? You’re in no state to go to class.” His voice was high-pitched and raspy but soft, adding to the safety Harry felt deep in his heart. His tone was gentle, as if he’s talking to a child, but Harry felt giddy. Butterflies erupted from his stomach when the boy smoothened his curls.

“Z, you go on yeah? I’ll take him to Bec.” Zayn nodded, gently patting Harry’s shoulder before he walked out. The boy gently wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist as Harry slung his arm around the boy’s shoulders, supporting his weight as he helped him up and strolled down the empty hallway to the office. He had both their bags on his shoulder and once they arrived, Rebecca quickly gestured them both to sit as she fetched a glass of water for Harry. He thanked her and took slow sips.

Rebecca turned to the boy. “What happened?”

The boy sighed. “I don’t really know. I was in class, bored to death when Z called me, asking me to come to the toilet near the lockers quickly.” He took a careful glance at Harry. “And when I came, I saw him on the floor, hyperventilating so I tried to calm him down, which worked but I don’t think he’s in any state for classes.”

Rebecca nodded. She then turned to Harry, voice soft. “Harry, I’ll call your mum to pick you up, okay?”

Harry was exhausted to say anything, so he just nodded. Rebecca went to her desk, rapidly dialling his mum’s number, relieved when she answered it in the second ring. She informed him that his mum would be picking him up in 15 minutes. Harry sat there with an empty glass in his hands, chewing his bottom lip before slowly turning to face the boy who had a small smile on his face. For the first time, he took in the boy’s appearance; chestnut messy hair with his fringe swept to the side, clean-shaven, sharp cheekbones that could cut, tight lips, cute button nose, arched eyebrows, and the _ocean eyes._

“Are you feeling better?”

Harry was so lost inside those eyes that he took a moment to register the question. Blinking slowly, he tried to give him an appreciative smile. “Yeah, a lot better. Thank you. It’s quite embarrassing to cry like a baby in front of a stranger.” He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck as his cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.

“Don’t be.” The boy’s smile hadn’t faded. “It’s okay, I’m quite used to it since Zayn has panic attacks too, but he’s a lot better now.”

Harry’s eyes snapped to him. “He does?”

The boy nodded. “Yup. Since he was a kid.” His expression turned sad, eyes casted downwards, his long eyelashes forming shadows underneath his eyes. “He had a horrible childhood, and it often occurred when someone cornered him, which was what I assumed happened to you.”

Harry gulped. “Some jock tried to harass me, pinning me against the lockers but Zayn protected me. The way I was pinned, and his mocking voice,” Harry wrapped his arms around himself, shuddering at the memory as tears threatened to fall. “ _…it’s terrifying._ ”

The boy was quick to hug him again, acting on instinct as he rubbed Harry’s back up and down. His other hand cradled his head as he brought it to the crook of his neck. Harry closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet smell of vanilla mixed with tobacco and baby powder, immediately soothing his nerves. _The combination shouldn’t smell as good as this boy, but for some reason, it suited him perfectly._

The boy pulled back as he felt Harry getting more relaxed. He put his hands on Harry’s shoulders, looking straight in his eyes.

“I’m sorry that he triggered your trauma, but remember this; _I’ll always be here._ ” He squeezed Harry’s shoulders, smiling gently. “I don’t care if you cry like a baby, or _ugly-cry._ ” Harry chuckled at that. “I’ll make sure I’ll come to you when you need me.”

Harry’s emerald eyes stared at the ocean ones, searching for any hint of joke, finding none. Instead, he was met with the amount of sincerity and hope he’d never seen reflected that much in anyone’s eyes. He smiled.

“Need your number then.” He said cheekily. Ocean boy laughed.

“Give me your phone then.” Harry handed him his phone, and the boy typed away his number. “There, all saved.” As he gave his phone back, their fingers brushed each other and Harry felt electrified; sending him sparks that burnt his skin in the most pleasant way possible. He blushed as he looked down his phone.

_**Louis ☼**_

His heart warmed up at the use of emoji. He smiled brightly, dimples popping in deep craters on both side of his cheeks. Louis gasped.

“You have dimples! God where did you hide this all this time?”

Harry barked out a laugh at his excitement, shaking his head fondly at the boy who was trying to poke his cheeks with his dainty fingers, grinning wide when Harry let him. He poked them a couple of time, eyes twinkling with delight. The incident in the toilet now had long been forgotten.

“Stop poking someone’s face, Louis. It’s rude!” Rebecca, who was watching the cute scene unfolding in front of her scolded him playfully. Louis can be oblivious sometimes, but by the look on Harry’s face, she didn’t think he minded.

Louis pouted. _Damn he’s cute._ “Bec, he allowed me to, so you don’t get to tell me otherwise.” He rolled his eyes. Harry and Rebecca laughed at his antics, and when Louis leaned over for another poke, Harry’s mum walked in with a worried look on her face.

“Hi, I’m Anne, Harry’s mum. I got a call from school, about his panic attack. I came here to pick him up.” She sounded breathless and worried, completely unaware of her son’s presence in the exact room. Rebecca smiled, gesturing towards Harry. Anne turned to her gaze, a look of pure concern etched on her beautiful face. She immediately hugged Harry.

“Oh honey, are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere are you?” Anne checked her son thoroughly, patting every inch of his clothed body and ended on his face, brushing her thumbs on his tear-stained cheeks. “Oh Harry.”

Harry smiled in his mum’s embrace. “I’m okay, Mum. Louis helped calm me down.” Anne pulled away from the hug, turning to face Louis who was standing sheepishly, a nervous smile on his pretty face. He offered a handshake. “Hi, I’m Louis. Nice to-“

Anne pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, effectively silencing him. “Oh, thank you so much, Louis.” She pulled back to pepper Louis’ face with kisses, making the boy giggle softly. Anne looked into his eyes lovingly, sporting a warm smile. “I’m so glad he managed to get such a good friend like you here.”

Louis beamed. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. It was my best mate, Zayn, who was with him earlier before he called me.” Harry nodded along. “Yeah Mum, I had Arts with Zayn before the whole incident, and he accompanied me in the toilet before Louis came along.” He blushed at that, catching Louis who was smiling.

Anne’s features softened. “Really? Then I ought to give him my thanks too.” Anne turned to Louis again, hands squeezing his shoulders. “Come over to our house some time later, I’d love to have you and Zayn around.”

“Oh no, it’s really not a prob-”

She waved him off. “None of that. I insist.” She grinned when Louis nodded shyly. “And bring your other friends too. I know your friends are as lovely as you.” Anne caressed his cheek, and it almost made Louis cry. She reminded him so much of his mother, _loving and warm._ Harry saw the emotions flashing inside his watery eyes, but Louis blinked hard and immediately composed himself before nodding enthusiastically.

“I’d take you up to your offer then.”

Anne beamed. “Perfect.”

“Mrs Twist, please sign this paper and then Harry is free to go.” Rebecca called Anne over and while she signed the paper, Harry leaned closer to Louis. “Are you okay?”  
Louis looked at him, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, I’m good. Just reminded of my mum is all.”

Harry could tell from his tone that something must had happened to his mum from the longing look in his eyes. He wanted to know, _hell, he wanted to know everything about this boy,_ but he knew it better than anyone about opening up and being vulnerable. He just hoped that someday, Louis would be willing to open up to him on his own. And he’d wait for that, however long it would take. And he hoped, when that day came, he himself would be strong enough to share his own story.

Anne walked towards them, thanking Rebecca and hugging Louis one last time, reminding him to come over for lunch or dinner sometime, earning a soft chuckle and a promise. She gently took Harry’s arm and dragged him away. Harry begrudgingly followed her, eyes fixed on Louis as he waved his goodbye, mouthing “see you tomorrow” to Louis. He laughed, returning the gesture with a hand motion to his ear, mouthing “call me”. Harry blushed crimson, shyly nodding, butterflies fluttering in his stomach when Louis smiled that dazzling smile.

Harry got into the car, still smiling like an idiot as he stared out the window, looking up to the now clear sky. He didn’t even notice the glances his mum was giving him, a knowing smile featured on her face.

“So…” Anne started. “Louis, huh?”

Harry’s face flushed. “What?”

Anne chuckled. “Oh, nothing honey. He’s lovely.”

Harry grinned, eyes focused on the blurred lines of the trees on the roadside. “He is.”

Later that night, after brushing his teeth and changing into his pyjamas, he landed on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He took his phone, thumb hovering over Louis’ contact, contemplating whether he should call or not. He weighted the pros and cons, deciding that he’s too shy to show his eagerness, opting to send him a text instead. _At least it’s less embarrassing._

**Harry: Hey, it’s Harry. Just wanna say thank you, and it’s nice to talk to you.**  
**Harry: And, um yeah that’s it. Thanks and good night, Louis.**

A few seconds later, his phone pinged, signalling a text from Louis.

**Louis ☼: Hey Harry. It’s no problem, and it’s really nice to talk to you too.**  
**Louis ☼: Sweet dream, Curly ;) see you tomorrow!**

Harry’s cheeks from grinning so wide, but he didn’t care. The fact that it took Louis only a couple of seconds meant that Louis was waiting for him. _He was waiting for me, and the nickname was cute._ Harry curled up to his side, hands clutching his phone tight to his chest, closing his eyes but the gleeful smile never left his lips. He fell into a peaceful sleep, dreaming about a certain chestnut-haired boy with eyes so _blue_ , rivalling the ocean itself, holding secrets he wished to uncover one day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! How's everyone doing? Hope everyone is dong well :)
> 
> Is anyone going to Louis' livestream tonight? I am, and I'm super excited!! To those watching tonight, enjoy the show! (Mine is tomorrow morning, at 4am)
> 
> I'd like to use this opportunity to thank you for the comment, kudos, bookmarks and hits! It meant so much for me when you spent some time to read this, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you so, so much <3
> 
> Without further ado, here's chapter 2! Enjoy xx
> 
> (p/s: this chapter is a bit long because I got carried away, sorry!)
> 
> Stay safe everyone xx

# Lads Doing Lads Thing 'Cause Lads Are Cool

### 

  


The next day, Harry was all smile, buzzing with energy. Anne cocked an eyebrow at her son’s antics when Harry was practically skipping as he entered the kitchen for breakfast, humming happily. He made himself a cuppa, sitting on the stool opposite from his mum.

  


“Morning Mum.” Anne observed the grin on his face, emotions running wild. Harry noticed the shift, quickly lowering the spoon to his plate, reaching out to grab his mum’s hands with a frown. “Mum? Did something happen?”

  


Anne clasped Harry’s hand, squeezing lightly. She chuckled a bit when Harry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “No, nothing happened. Just hadn’t seen you smile that big for so long. Got emotional.”

  


Harry’s face lit up at that. “Oh, really?”

  


Anne nodded, her smile as bright as the sun itself. “Really. And I’m really glad that you’ve finally found a reason to be happy.” Her smile soon turned mischievous. “Let me guess, _Louis_?”

  


Harry’s eyes widened as his milky white skin flushed a lovely shade of pink. “I d-don’t k-know what you’re t-talking about.” He stammered so badly that he cursed himself internally for the blatant lie. He groaned when his mum laughed, amused with his attempt to lie when she knew Harry was a terrible liar.

  


“Oh Harry, you know I don’t mind. Not when he’s such a _dear_.” Anne wiggled her eyebrows, giggling when Harry resumed eating with a frown, muttering unintelligible words under his breath. Soon, Anne dropped Harry to school, and he felt his anxiety rising, threatening to swallow him whole when an arm slung across his shoulder. He tensed for a bit before registering the familiar bubbly voice.

  


“Morning, Harry! You feeling okay?”

  


Harry visibly relaxed, immediately grinning at the blonde Irish boy. “Morning, Niall. Nothing a good night sleep can’t fix.” Niall laughed at that, nodding profusely, before the whole situation caught up to Harry. “Wait, why were you asking me if I’m okay?”

  


“You looked like you just seen a ghost, mate. Thought you were possessed or something.” Niall shrugged as they walked to the lockers. Harry couldn’t help but burst out laughing as they reached their lockers, Niall stuffing his books inside.

  


“ _Possessed_? Really, Niall?”

  


Niall cracked a smile. “It’s a _thing_ , okay? I was just concerned. Who knows I might have had to call some bloody exorcist this early for real.” Harry grinned, turning to his locker to put the books inside. He realised that it’s so easy to talk to Niall, that boy being a great conversationalist and so radiant that he just unconsciously drew people in. Harry had never had a friend like Niall, and he’s thankful that this town brought something refreshingly different.

  


“Nialler!”

  


They were lounging about in the hallway, talking while waiting for the bell when a loud shout of what Harry could only assume Niall’s nickname echoed across the walls. Harry could recognise the voice anywhere, so he eagerly looked behind Niall to find the ocean boy walking towards them with a blinding smile and a hand in the air. Liam and Zayn were right beside him, and it _clicked_.

  


_Louis._

  


Louis was the last person he was supposed to meet today. He could only stare as Louis approached them, bumping his fist with Niall’s patted his back when he was being hugged. He turned to Harry, his smile widening.

  


“Hello Harry. Slept well?”

  


Harry was embarrassingly stunned as he stared into the teal eyes boring right into his emerald ones. He barely registered the question as he was on the verge of getting lost in those gorgeous eyes.

  


“Um- yeah. Hello.”

  


Harry cursed himself for the jumbled up response, but relieved nonetheless when Louis giggled. He found it adorable, and he wanted to bottle that sound, keeping it with himself forever.

  


_Wow Harry, since when were you a creep?_

  


“You guys knew each other?” Liam was genuinely confused, since they didn’t have PE yesterday and Harry shouldn’t have met Louis. Not that he minded, but he was curious. Louis didn’t say anything yesterday when they had lunch. Niall gave the same expression before Louis, Harry and Zayn burst into a fit of giggles, causing the other two to look at each other and then them.

  


“I had Arts with Zayn yesterday, and then when we were at the lockers, some jock named Josh tried to harass me.” Harry grimaced at the memory, his breathing had picked up but he inhaled deeply before continuing. “Zayn protected me, but I had panic attack before Louis here helped calm me down in the toilet.” Harry blushed slightly, stealing a glance at Louis to see him already looking at Harry, lips curving up into a smile that he could only describe as _fondness_.

  


“I see. Louis had that _effect_ , huh?” Liam was smirking now, noticing the shift between Louis and Harry, but decided to not say anything. Harry nodded, smiling shyly. “So that’s why you got detention yesterday!” Niall suddenly exclaimed, laughing loudly. Louis rolled his eyes and smacked the back of Niall’s head. He winced in pain but still grinning.

  


Harry whipped his head to look at Louis, and Louis swore he heard a crack at how fast Harry turned his head. “You got detention?”

  


Louis shrugged. “It doesn’t matter really.”

  


“It _does_ , Louis! It’s my _fault_!” Harry started to pace around. “If only I hadn’t had that panic attack, you wouldn’t have to stay with me and be late for your class and got detention and-”

  


Louis cupped Harry’s face, successfully silencing him as _blue meets green_ , again. Louis stared intensely at Harry, and Harry’s body felt _hot_ at the touch. “It’s not your fault that you had panic attack, Harry. Stop blaming yourself.” He let go of his face, eyes still on his. “Plus, you can ask them about my reputation with never-ending detentions. Pretty sure I hold the title of ‘Detention Champ’ in this school.”

  


The other three laughed at that. “That’s true. He’s so familiar with detentions that people find it weird if he’s not.” Zayn chimed in. “So you don’t have to worry, H. Even the teachers gave up after a while.”

  


Just as Harry wanted to reply, the bell rang, ushering the students to go to their respective classrooms. They all have PE for first period, so they went to the football locker room to change and went to the field. They’re playing football today, Louis’ element. Harry couldn’t take his eyes off Louis even if he wanted to, since Louis was practically flying across the field. The way he led his team, dribbled the ball expertly, dodging tackles, all the way to scoring a goal had Harry stumbling on his feet in an attempt to join the other players. He almost tripped one time, earning snickers from Niall and Zayn, even though Zayn was no good either. He flipped them off and continued playing, finding it more difficult as time passed by when Louis’ jersey clung to his back, all sweaty from the game, accentuating his figure. Unfortunately for him, someone passed him the ball, bringing him back to reality. _Damn it, I need to stop_.

  


The game ended with their team winning 2-1. They formed a celebratory huddle before their teacher shooed them away to get changed and get ready for the next class. Harry was exhausted, but he felt great for once, playing a game that he loved, but he knew the real reason he enjoyed it so much was because his newfound friends were there. _And Louis_.

  


He knew he admired Louis, _maybe even had a crush on him_ , and he was undoubtedly star struck at how easily Louis glided across the field with nimble but strong legs. He also noticed that his thighs were _absolutely thick_ , and his _bum_ , man, he had never seen a bum looking that _good_ on a guy before. Harry’s eyes widen at this, quickly shaking his head to remove the image of Louis’ backside with a deep red blush coating his face.

  


“Harry, you look _burnt_.” Liam said, his voice a mix of concern and amusement. “You okay? Need to see the nurse?”

  


Harry snapped his head to look at Liam before sheepishly shaking his head. “N-no, I’m fine. Just tired. Been a while since I last played football.” It’s true. Harry hadn’t played football for two years since he was in and out the therapist’s office for sessions and holing himself up in his room. Liam was talking to him, but he could only stare blankly, unable to grasp anything Liam was saying as he’s slowly drifting back to the dark times in his life. He was about to completely lost himself when he heard soft whispers in his ear.

  


_“Harry.”_

  


He slowly blinked, the colours coming back to his vision. When he finally came to, he saw a worried-looking Liam, and _blue_ eyes. It took him a second to realise that Louis was standing close to him, eyes locked onto Harry’s, silently searching for any kind of reassurance. That’s when Harry pieced it together.

  


_It was Louis’ voice that took him back._

  


He finally let out a small smile to both of them, helping both lads to breathe a relieved sigh. They didn’t pry, just gave him a small nod and a pat on the shoulder. Louis lingered a while longer, cocking his eyebrows as a silent _“you’re really okay?”_ in which Harry nodded with a more genuine smile. He then smiled, and with a last squeeze to his shoulder, went to sit to the empty seat beside Liam.

  


“Wait, Lou, why are you _here_?” Liam somehow had caught up to the situation, making Harry confused with his question while Louis just shrugged nonchalantly. “You’re not supposed to share Math with me and Harry, you had it yesterday.”

  


Unbothered, Louis took out his books and started scribbling. “I didn’t go yesterday, so Mrs Potts told me to make it up by going to your class.” Louis stopped scribbling and leaned against his chair, arms crossed. “Plus, your class seems more _interesting_ , might as well change it permanently.” He smirked, looking straight at Harry as he said that. Harry felt hot all over from the attention, despite not fully understanding his reasoning. Liam laughed.

  


“You really had everyone wrapped around your _little_ fingers, huh?”

  


Louis smacked Liam’s head, scowling while he did so. That only made Liam laughed harder, and Harry couldn’t help but joining in, amused at the banter. Their teacher made his entrance just then, stopping Louis from retaliating further but not without grumbling _“fucking Payno”_ under his breath, causing both Liam and Harry to giggle. The class went silent when Mr Drew took their attendance, stopping at a particular name before scanning the classroom and landed his eyes on Louis who had propped up his chin on his palm.

  


“Ah, Mr Tomlinson.” He started. “What a _delightful_ surprise.” Mr Drew was _actually_ delighted to see Louis in his class. “I take it that you skipped Mrs Potts’ class yesterday?” The whole class erupted in laughter.

  


_News sure travelled fast_ , Harry thought. He looked over to Louis to see his reaction, and to his surprise, Louis only grinned, pure joy twinkling in his cerulean eyes. “Yup.” He popped the ‘p’. “And if you don’t mind, Mr Drew, I would like to _permanently_ stay in your class please.”

  


That statement made everyone giggled softly, and Harry felt the anticipation brewing in each and every single person in the class as Mr Drew dramatically put his fingers under his chin, pretending to think before facing him again, face serious. “Well, Mr Tomlinson, I must say…” he dragged the words for effect, and Harry gulped. _Please let Louis in this class._

  


Mr Drew broke into a huge grin. “I’d be ecstatic to have you in my class.” Louis bumped his fist in the air, while the whole class cheered and Harry felt his breath finally returning to his lungs. Liam punched Louis in the arm, and they both exchanged jabs before Mr Drew called their attention again. “Would you like to introduce yourself, Mr Tomlinson? You’re _new_ , after all.”

  


Louis stood up, clearing his throat. “Thank you, Mr Drew. That’s very kind of you.” The class giggled. “That being said, hello everyone. Don’t pretend like you don’t know me, I’m famous.” Mr Drew laughed loudly at that. “On the side note, I’m thrilled to be in this class since I heard that Mr Drew is a _great_ teacher, and I’m honoured to be taught by _the one and only_ Mr Drew.” He bowed in a dramatic gesture. “And with that, I end my speech with a thank you.” He sat down, earning a loud applause from everyone.

  


To say Harry was speechless was an understatement; he’s inarguably _stunned_. Louis had such a powerful presence, and he could easily charm anyone with only his smile. _No wonder he was hopelessly attracted to Louis_. The class went on without a hitch, with Mr Drew purposely making Louis his target to answer questions, and to Harry’s surprise (again), he managed to answer the questions effortlessly. The surprise must’ve shown on his face because Louis laughed.

  


“What, Curly? You thought I was dumb?”

  


“U-um, y-yeah?”

  


"Wow, you're _dangerously_ honest." Louis chuckled. “I skipped classes a lot, yeah, and I got detention, and I’m obsessed with footie,” he gestured his hands in the air. “But I study too, so don’t worry that _pretty head of yours_ too much.” He winked at Harry, and Liam smirked when Harry blushed. He couldn’t seem to hide his blush whenever Louis was around, and that’s delightfully frustrating.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


The rest of his classes were great, and finally, it’s lunch time. Harry walked with Niall and Liam to the cafeteria, but they bumped into Josh and his jock friends in the hallway. Harry immediately tensed up, the fear evident and he stopped walking. Liam and Niall yanked him away, sending death glares to Josh as he snickered and whistled. Harry heard a distant shout of _“you look great today darling”_ in that disgustingly sweet voice that only belonged to Josh, mocking him in every way possible. Niall and Liam looked behind to flip him off, quickening their pace to the cafeteria and to their usual table where Louis and Zayn sat waiting. They gestured for Harry to sit next to Louis, and left to queue.

  


“Harry?”

  


Harry’s body was trembling, his eyes fixed on his lap, his hands clammy. He couldn’t focus on anything as his past invaded his thinking space, creating a hurricane inside his already chaotic mind. Flashes of images ran wild, his breathing quickened and he’s on the verge of a panic attack when a warm, gentle hand squeezed his sweaty fists. He whipped his head up, the cloudy vision slowly clearing, allowing him to see blue.

  


Louis said nothing, only staring at the beautiful forest eyes that were deep in the dark just moments ago, patiently waiting as Harry’s breathing slowed, his vision returning, and his body stopped trembling. He squeezed a little harder, prompting the curly-haired lad to fully return to him. He smiled when he saw that Harry finally relaxed, the clouds in his eyes vanished, replaced with sparkly twinkles as Harry managed to offer him a small smile.

  


“Thank you.”

  


Louis tightened his grasp a little. “Don’t thank me, Harry. Now, mind telling me what happened?”

  


Harry struggled to find the words, the anxiety finding its way again but luckily Niall and Liam returned to their table with three lunch trays, putting one in front of Harry. Liam took a seat beside Zayn at the round table, and Niall sat beside Harry, radiating comfort which Harry was grateful for. Louis looked at them both expectantly.

  


Niall spoke first. “It’s _fucking_ Josh.” Harry heard Zayn groaned, while Louis clenched his free hand into a fist. “We bumped into him on our way here, harassing Harry with whistles and snickers. He didn’t do anything since we were there, but it made Harry completely uncomfortable, and his body locked up.” Niall and Liam sighed. “We had to drag him here because he stopped walking altogether. Thought you could help, since he seems to be fine when you’re around.”

  


If Harry was in his usual state of mind, he would have blushed, his default setting, but right now, in his exhausted mind, he couldn’t find it in himself to respond. He had a thousand thoughts playing in his mind, one being how _burdensome_ he was to them, having to protect him every time. He started to shrink, but the hand on his grounded him, anchoring him to the present, telling him that everything will be okay. He looked up to see Louis staring at him, a serious look on his face.

  


“You’re not a burden, Harry.” Louis began, eyes looking straight into his. “You’re our friend, and friends protect and support each other, through thick and thin.” He reconsidered his words. “Well, in our case, through _troubles and fun_.” Everyone at the table chuckled, and Louis was relieved when Harry’s lips quirked up into a smile. “Josh is a prick, always has been, but we’re here. Will always be here, as long as you’ll have us.”

  


Harry looked from Louis, to Zayn, to Liam, and finally to Niall, who were all sporting a reassuring smile and providing sincerity in their eyes, before flickering his eyes to Louis. For once, he felt accepted and loved. All this while, he thought Ed was his best friend, but deep down, he had always felt like Ed had to be with him out of pity. But these four lads that he had just met yesterday overthrew everything he had ever known about friendships, and he allowed himself to feel content.

  


He finally let out an authentic smile. “Thank you. I really appreciate it, you accepting me into your group. Hope that I don’t trouble you that much.”

  


Niall snorted. “As if you’ll be any more of a trouble than Tommo. If anything, I bet you’d be the least of our growing list of problems, all caused by Lou and Z.”

  


Zayn kicked him on the shin, while Louis released his hold on Harry’s hand, reaching behind him to land a slap on Niall’s head. They started a banter among themselves while eating, Harry laughing at whatever they’re arguing about, and for the first time ever, he felt _alive_.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry ended up inviting them all to dinner, in which Anne happily indulged them with home-baked pastries, a bowl of salad, a fruit platter and roasted chicken with lots of cheese which made Niall jumped up and down excitedly, hugging Anne to convey his thanks. She laughed before shoving him away to grab some ice-cream, earning gleaming eyes and huge grins from all the boys. She giggled softly, shaking her head in endearment as the boys made a fuss over dinner. She looked at Harry, and no words could describe her emotions when she saw him talking and laughing excitedly with his new friends, silently thanking the Gods for this new development. She also noticed the secret glances between Harry and Louis, and that made her smiled even wider. _He’ll be okay, as long as these lads are here_.

  


They helped Anne to clear the table and washed the dishes despite her insistence on not doing so, and went to the living room to watch some movies. They argued about what movie to watch, and somehow, Louis won the argument and picked Grease.

  


“I’m telling you, Lou, you’re _obsessed_ with Grease, and it’s unhealthy.” Niall grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, sitting down begrudgingly.

  


Louis flipped him off. “Shut up, Nialler. It’s great movie, not my fault you _don’t have good taste_.”

  


Niall threw a cushion pillow towards him as retaliation. Louis successfully dodged the attack, and the pillow smacked Zayn right on his face, causing him to stumble back a little, knocking Liam in the process.

  


“You’re looking for a fight, Ni?”

  


He walked towards Niall who was laughing his arse off, playfully grabbing the collar of his shirt with a failed attempt to look _murderous_. They ended up smacking each other, stopping when the opening credits of Grease were rolling. Niall resumed his seat on the floor, leaning against Harry’s legs, Zayn not far from him but he was sat between Liam’s legs comfortably. Harry, Louis and Liam sat on the couch, pressed against each other. The couch was huge, but Harry just wanted to be close to Louis, so he scooted closer until their shoulders bumped, knees touching. He felt Louis smirking, but he didn’t move, so Harry remained in his spot, internally screaming in happiness.

  


Despite Niall’s protest at first, they ended up singing and dancing along to the songs, making a mess of the living room, completely ignoring the loud ruckus they’re causing. Anne shook her head fondly, leaving them to fool around by themselves. By the time the movie ended, the boys were exhausted, and it’s already late. Being it a school night, they couldn’t stay up late, and they couldn’t stay over either. It upset Harry a bit, but he understood. He wouldn’t want to stay over either on weekdays. Just as the lads were fussing over their phones to call their parents, Anne popped out in the living room.

  


“You boys going home?”

  


Four heads nodded simultaneously. “Let’s get you home then.”

  


Liam quickly shook his head. “Oh no, Mrs Twist, you don’t have to trouble yourself.”

  


Niall chimed in. “Yeah, you already did so much. We’ll call our parents, it’s no problem.”

  


Anne waved him off, already clutching her purse and keys. “None of that. I’m going to send you boys home, so save your parents the trouble and tell them not to worry, I’ve got it handled.”

  


“Anne, please, you don’t have to-”

  


“ _Louis_ ,” Anne interrupted, a warm look glazing over her eyes. “You boys made Harry so happy, and it’s only his second day here. This is the least I can do for all of you. So shut up and get your asses in the car, now.” Anne said with a stern look, but the smile on her lips showed that she was joking. Five pair of eyes looked at each other before they all returned to Anne, smiling gratefully and shoving their phones in their pockets.

  


“Thank you, Mrs Twist.” Zayn finally muttered, and again, Anne waved him off, telling them to call her Anne. They followed her to the car, Harry included, chatter and laughter filling the car ride. She dropped them off one by one, starting from Niall, next was Liam, then Louis, and lastly, Zayn. Harry was amazed to learn that their houses were quite near to each other, and made a mental note to remember the distance and time taken to reach each other’s houses by foot. The boys thanked Anne and Harry profusely, promising to visit again soon.

  


Later that night, Harry found himself being added into a group chat with the other four lads, and it warmed his heart in more ways than he could imagine. He laughed at the jokes and cursed words spilling from them, occasionally joining in the fun. They ended their conversation with a “see you tomorrow!”, and Harry drifted off to a peaceful, happy sleep.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


The rest of the weeks went by in a flash, and Harry was ecstatic. It had always been five of them now, spending lunch after lunch together, studying in the library (which often ended with Louis getting bored and disrupting the study session because he couldn’t just sit still), and hanging out at the park after school. Harry still had his fair share of Josh harassing him, but he was never alone, which he was immensely grateful for.

  


On one particular Thursday, they were hanging out at Anne’s café, and as they were actively engaged in a discussion about their plans for the weekend, Niall’s eyes lit up and slammed his palm on the table, shocking the other boys and abruptly stopping their conversation.

  


“I have a plan!”

  


Harry felt the heavy stares from the customers and employees alike, and he unconsciously tried to make himself smaller, hating the attention even though he knew the attention wasn’t on him. Louis noticed this, and he immediately put a hand on his knee, thumbing slightly to calm him, sapphire eyes locking into his forest ones. Harry flashed a small smile, silently thanking Louis, earning a squeeze in return.

  


“What is it, Nialler? If your plan involved us getting arrested, I don’t want any part of it.” Louis blatantly replied, causing Niall to roll his eyes at the irony.

  


“Says the _very person_ who is _most likely_ to get us in jail given the chance.” Louis smirked at that, not even trying to deny Niall’s statement. Harry was slightly worried about that, wondering if he had ever done something that got them caught. “My plan is safe, don’t you worry.”

  


It was Liam’s turn to chip in. “Spill, Ni. Would love to know this _great_ plan of yours.”

  


Niall leaned forwards, grinning brightly. The other four followed his motion, creating a huddle.

  


“Well, I was thinking that we can have a sleepover, like old times.” Niall started, looking at each lad carefully. “Tomorrow night, we finish whatever homework we have so we can fully enjoy Saturday and Sunday.”

  


“Okay, sounds promising.” Zayn commented. “What do you suggest we do on Saturday and Sunday?”

  


Niall hummed. “I was thinking that maybe we can check out the new skating rink in town? Been a while since I last skated, must be rusty.” They all nodded, prompting Niall to continue. “Then, we can play a couple games of bowling, and the arcade.” That seemed to spark everyone’s interest, including Harry’s. “Or if you prefer some outdoor activities, we can try hiking too, preferably on Sunday. And on Saturday night, we can play FIFA all night. What do you boys think?”

  


“Why hiking?” Liam asked, a bit confused.

  


“Because we’re cool lads. And hiking is a lad’s thing. We’re lads doing lads things ‘cause lads are cool.” Louis answered nonchalantly. They stared at him unimpressed, and Louis rolled his eyes. “Fine, because it’s _healthy_.”

  


It didn’t take long for the boys to decide and agree, their excitement coming off a little bit too loudly, causing them to be stared at again, and with Anne softly glaring at them, they sheepishly muttered their apologies. They returned to their huddle, opting to talk in lower voices.

  


“So, whose house will we raid tomorrow?” Harry asked, already giddy at the prospect of spending the weekend with them. _And of course, with Louis_. They all laughed at his enthusiasm, before Zayn raised his hand.

  


“Let’s go to mine. My sisters won’t be home since they’ll be spending the weekend at their friend’s house. My mum’s out for a business trip, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”

  


Excitement filled the air as they started to plan their little excursion. They talked until the sky turned into pretty pink and orange hues, forcing them to stop their conversation, and Anne sent the boys home. Harry asked for Anne’s permission when they arrived home, in which Anne gladly agreed.

  


“Of course you can go, Harry! It’ll be good for you, to hang out and have fun like other teenagers.” She kissed his forehead. “Just be careful and stay close with them, alright?” Harry happily nodded as he nuzzled further into Anne’s embrace, her fingers carding through his curls gently, and Harry almost purred at how good it felt.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Anne sent Harry to Zayn’s house right before dinner on Friday, and he was delighted to know that Zayn’s mum had prepared dinner for them before she left. She had also stuffed the fridge and cabinet with microwaveable food and snacks that would last them until Sunday. After they ate, they sat sprawled in the living room around the rectangle wooden table, doing their homework diligently. Louis and Liam took turns tutoring their friends, which shocked Harry, because let’s face it, Harry didn’t peg Louis as the studious one. He must’ve had verbalised his thoughts, because Louis laughed.

  


“Come on, Curly, don’t think so lowly of me, will you?”

  


Harry sheepishly shrugged, continuing their homework. By 11, they completed their homework and tidied up the mess before moving the table and couch to the side, making a huge space in the middle. They brushed their teeth, changed into their pyjamas, and carried three single mattresses to the living room. They each took a few pillows, sharing two large, fuzzy blankets and plopped themselves on the mattresses. Liam laid on the far side on the right, Zayn comfortably snuggled in his arm, Niall in the middle, Harry beside him and then Louis. Harry slowly turned to his side, facing Louis who had already looking at him. For a moment, they stared at each other, blue seeing green, an unspoken conversation being made. _You’re safe with me, I’ll take care of you,_ blue said, and Harry smiled.

  


“Good night, Lou.” Harry whispered, closing his eyes.

  


Louis was a little taken aback with the nickname, but he composed himself as his smile grew wider. He closed his eyes.

  


“Good night, Harry.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry was the first to wake up the next morning, blindly reaching for his phone to stop the blaring alarm. He rubbed his eyes, squinting a bit from the rays of sunshine peeking from the curtains. When his vision cleared, he was met with the sight of someone’s neck, and the feeling of a pair of strong arms around his waist. His senses were heightened now, quickly looking up only to find a sleeping Louis. He immediately relaxed, pulling back a little to watch his sleeping face. _He looked adorable with pouty lips_.

  


Harry smiled, feeling so much at peace in his arms, admiring his face. The moment didn’t last long though, as Louis started to stir before slowly opening his eyes. He squinted his eyes at the intrusion of the light, tightening his hold on Harry before snapping his eyes open in high alert when his nose brushed into _a mop of curls_. He slowly pulled back as to not startle the curly lad and took in Harry’s features – unruly chocolate curls that reached his earlobes, sparkling, innocent eyes, sharp nose, rounded jawline that would surely sharpened in time, and plush, pink lips that quirked up into a sweet smile.

  


_Fuck, he’s even more beautiful when he just woke up._

  


“Morning, Lou.”

  


He shivered at the deep voice, but he quickly recovered, smiling. “Morning, Curly.”

  


Louis marvelled at the blush coating Harry’s cheeks, giggling when Harry covered his face with his hands to hide his embarrassment. He then released Harry from his hold, much to Harry’s dismay. He bopped his nose affectionately to console him, and it worked, dimples popping out prominently.

  


“You should go and get ready before these lads wake up, Curly. They can be pretty _barbaric_ when they know they need to take turns in using bathrooms.”

  


Harry gasped at that and immediately stood up, taking his clothes and rushed to the bathroom. Louis laughed at his antics as he sat up groggily, glancing at the time. It’s 8.15am, a good time to wake them up. He skipped all pleasantries, instead, he grabbed a pillow and softly smacked each lad on the face, successfully making the three lads sitting up in alarm, confusion etched on their faces as they looked at Louis. He responded with a loud laugh.

  


Niall groaned. “Fuck off Tommo. It’s not funny.”

  


Zayn glared at him. “One of these days, I’m going to _kill_ you, Lou.”

  


Louis stuck his tongue out childishly. Liam said nothing, simply grabbed his clothes and went to the bathroom upstairs, with Zayn following close behind. Niall looked over to Louis.

  


“Where’s H?”

  


“Showering.”

  


He hummed, taking his phone and scrolled mindlessly. Louis did the same, until Harry showed up moments later, freshly showered and clad in his outfit for the day – a black t-shirt with a smiley in the middle, a blue denim jacket slung on his arm, black skinny jeans, and a cross-shaped necklace adorning his long neck. It’s a simple outfit, but _it’s Harry_ , and Louis was in awe. He was even more endeared when he saw the wild, dry curls springing on his head. Harry was frowning, struggling to tame his curls.

  


“Stop frowning, Curly. Come here and let me help.” He turned to Niall. “Ni, go ahead and take a shower.” Niall simply nodded and walked away with his clothes and toiletries.

  


Harry huffed as he situated himself in front of Louis, handing him his hair brush. Louis carefully untangled the curls, slowly combing his hair. When he deemed it presentable enough, he gently carded his fingers into the soft curls, smiling when Harry sighed in contentment. _He liked it when people played with his hair_. “There, all done, Curly.”

  


He handed him the brush, stomach doing flips when he saw the faint blush on Harry’s cheeks. He muttered a ‘thank you’ under his breath, and when Liam and Zayn walked down, he squeezed Harry’s shoulder before taking his clothes and went up to Zayn’s room to shower. Harry followed the movement, not realising the smile overtaking his lips and the knowing glances from Liam and Zayn, but they didn’t say anything.

  


Once everyone had showered, they all crammed up in the kitchen, winding some breakfast. Harry took charge in the kitchen, ordering the other lads around as they prepared pancakes. Louis was utterly hopeless in cooking, so he was tasked to make the table and brewing tea, while Zayn rummaged the cabinet for maple syrup, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and honey before placing them on the counter. Liam took the liberty of chopping the fruits in small pieces, and Niall helped Harry by whisking the batter and joining him in making pancakes. Each lad had 5 pieces of pancakes, with the toppings of their choices, and hot cups of tea.

  


They ate and talked, already so energetic, eager to start their day. After washing the dirty plates and cups, they cleared the table and went to the bus stop. Everyone had a jacket on as it’s quite chilly in October, and they engaged in a cheerful banter as they always did, continuing it on the bus all the way to town. They hopped off, marching to their first destination; ice rink. They rented the skates for 2 hours, and Niall was all smiles when he finally glided on the ice, showing off his ice skating skills. Liam and Zayn went next, hand-in-hand, gleefully twirling and circling the rink. Harry was struggling a bit, since he was so clumsy that he could easily trip and fall if not for the hand gripping his bicep, guiding him slowly.

  


“You’ve never ice skated before, Curly?”

  


Harry glared at the smirking Louis, pouting adorably. “I have, but as you can see, I have _two left feet_.” He gestured at his shaking legs trying desperately to balance himself. Louis let out a laugh, making Harry’s pout even more prominent. “Stop it. It’s embarrassing.”

  


Louis grinned, taking Harry’s hand in his as he slowly dragged Harry. “Well then, it’s a good thing you’re with me, because I’m a _professional skater_ , Bambi.” Louis winked, giggling at the wide-eyed Harry. He carefully taught Harry to skate, staying close to him the entire time. It was cold, but every touch from Louis made him _hot, warm,_ and _safe_. At one point, Louis twirled him around, dragged him across the rink, showed him a few tricks in which he attempted to copy but failed miserably, falling on his bum. He winced in pain, glaring when Louis laughed as he came to help him. Louis extended his hand, missing the mischievous smirk on Harry’s lips. He grabbed Louis’ hand, but instead of getting up, he yanked Louis’ hand, causing him to stumble and fall. By then, Liam, Zayn and Niall were already there, and they laughed loudly, ignoring the disapproving looks on other customers.

  


“Sneaky, Curly. I’ll remember this.”

  


“You laughed at me, it’s only fair.”

  


The other three helped them up, and went to the counter to return the skates. They walked around the town to find something to eat, since it’s lunchtime, and Niall had been complaining about being hungry the entire walk. They opted for a café that had outside booths with comfy seats and big parasols so they sat on one, ordering sandwiches, a bowl of salad (for Harry), fish and chips, and hot chocolates.

  


“ _Salad?_ ” Louis’ tone was full of disgust, his nose scrunching to emphasise his dislike. “Really, Curly?”

  


Harry frowned. “What? It’s good for you!”

  


Louis looked at him incredulously. “Yeah, okay, whatever. I hate that shit.”

  


Harry snorted. “Don’t blame _me_ when you’re old and wrinkly and all sick then.”

  


The look on Louis’s face was enough to get everyone to throw their heads back and laughed. He turned to his food, mumbling _"little shit"_ under his breath and jabbed his fork on the poor fish. They continued making fun of him on his pure hatred of anything green, and at some point, he joined in the fun, stealing everyone’s food (including Harry’s). They let him, and once they’re full, they separated the bill and went to the bowling centre. They didn’t team up, and made a bet that whoever lost had to walk up to a random stranger and compliment him or her. That caused Harry to be super competitive; he couldn’t do that because he got anxious easily. The boys raised their eyebrows at his determination, but played along anyway. Zayn admittedly lost, and with a groan, he scanned the bowling arena for a potential candidate until he found the perfect one.

  


“Watch how a _pro_ works.” Zayn said with a smirk. They all cheered, watching as Zayn walked up to a petite girl who looked shy and out of place. She had his auburn hair in a ponytail, and her glasses were so thick, a tell-tale sign of a nerd. Zayn, with all his confidence and charm, walked to her, started a short conversation and whispered into her ear. The girl blushed furiously, nodding her head as a shy smile made its way to her lips. He waved her goodbye, and made his way to the lads.

  


“What did you tell her, Z? She was blushing like crazy!” Niall laughed but kept his tone low. The lads were curious, because the girl wasn’t enjoying herself earlier but smiled so wide after the whisper. Zayn shrugged.

  


“I just told her that she’s cute, and that she shouldn’t let anyone tell her otherwise, because everyone is _different_ , and it’s okay to be _different_.” The lads cooed, and Harry was stunned with how sincere Zayn sounded. He remembered that back in his hometown, no one at school was that _nice_ ; the nerdy and quiet were always bullied, him included, so he could sense the pure joy radiating from the girl who had just been complimented by a stranger. She must have been bullied too, judging from her shy and timid nature. He couldn’t help but wished that things were different for him back then.

  


Louis, sensing that Harry was sinking back to his dark thoughts, reached out for his hand and squeezed slightly. He held his stare as Harry looked at him, slowly smiling and squeezing his hand back. He breathed out a sigh, and dragged him away. Liam, Zayn and Niall shared knowing looks at the gesture. They followed them out and went straight to the arcade, spending almost 2 hours there, playing all the machines and went ballistic at shooting games. Satisfied, they took the bus home at around 5.45pm, and quickly took over the kitchen as soon as they arrived at Zayn’s house. They heated the dinner that was prepared by Zayn’s mum, took a shower and immediately glued in front of the telly. Zayn and Louis set up the game, and they split into teams; Zayn and Louis in one, Niall and Liam in the other. Harry volunteered to be the cheerleader, and he, along with the lads, cheered when they got possession of the ball, then lost the possession, dribbled and passed until they scored. They were all shouting curse words to each other, and it was a tie until Zayn successfully delivered the penalty, standing up and hugging Louis when they won. Liam and Niall groaned but joined the victory hug anyway, squishing Harry in the middle.

  


Later that night, exhaustion took over their body, and they slept like a log in the same positions like last night. The next morning, they didn’t go hiking, but instead, they went to the park to play a little football game after breakfast, bonded a little more after, and went their separate ways after lunch with a promise to do it again. Harry went home with a huge grin on his face, and Anne was elated to see the change.

  


“Did you have fun, honey?”

  


Harry smiled brightly. “Yeah! They were amazing, Mum! Never once they excluded me, and they were always there when I was feeling a little out of it.” He trailed off a bit before continuing. “All this while, I thought what I had with Ed was a _good friendship_ , but something was always _missing_ with him, y’know?”

  


Anne hummed, a signal for him to continue. “Ed was there, yes, but I had the feeling that he was _forced_? The most we did was hanging out and watched movies, since I was so adamant on not going out, closing myself off even though I knew he wanted to hang outside.” He sighed. “And that’s how we drifted off from each other, I guess. When he moved, we rarely texted, and now, we don’t talk anymore. Thought I’d never make any friends forever, but they proved me wrong.” He smiled. “I still have my anxiety, but they, _especially Louis_ , helped me with that, and I’m just so thankful, Mum.”

  


Anne took him in her arms, and Harry wrapped his arms around her waist. She kissed the crown of his head. “I’m thankful too, honey. I saw that they gave such a positive impact on you, and I’m so happy seeing you smile and laugh.” She caressed his cheek. “But they gave you hope, and I want you to hold on to that.”

  


Harry smiled in the crook of his mum’s neck, closing his eyes when he felt the familiar, gentle fingers massaging his scalp. “I will, Mum. For as long as I can.”

  


The mother and son duo stayed like that for a while. She hoped that her son could finally let himself basked in this happiness and not clung to the past, and with the lads, she’s positive that her son was on the right path to recovery, and into the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! How are you? I hope you guys are staying safe, wherever you are. Stay at home if there's absolutely no necessity for you to go out, yeah?
> 
> Thank you so much for the lovely comments, thank you for the kudos, thank you for the bookmarks, and thank you for the hits! You have no idea how happy and thankful I am to see it! Thank you for sticking around xx
> 
> So, here's Chapter 3! There are several trigger warnings I need to put, so if you're not comfortable with it, please skip the parts with asterisk (***).
> 
> TW:  
> 1) PAST SEXUAL ABUSE  
> 2) SEXUAL HARASSMENT
> 
> (P/S: I don't really have a scheduled updates, so I update whenever I've finished writing each chapter. And there's fluff, to compensate for the heavy parts of this chapter. Also, I put Taylor Swift's Safe and Sound here, because I find it fitting for the end of this chapter hehe)
> 
> Comments and suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated :)
> 
> Enjoy! xx

# I'll Always Be Here

### 

  


_*******_

_He hid in the bathroom, back against the wall, knees touching his chest, eyes shut and little hands clasped against his ears, trying to drown away the screaming and yelling coming from downstairs. Tears rolled down his cheeks freely, the cold tiles numbing all his senses. He desperately wished that the shouting would stop, but when it did, he felt an overwhelming fear as heavy footsteps approached the bathroom he’s currently in._

  


_He tried to steady his breathing, shaking his head endlessly to silence the offending sound of the nearing footsteps. He flinched when the bathroom door slammed open and greeted with a fuming man, pure anger and dominance radiating from his every fibre._

  


He tried to escape by scooting away as the man walked closer and closer, a devilish smirk coating his ugly face, but as his back bumped into the far side of the wall, he was trapped. His wide, teary eyes looked up to the man hovering above him.

  


_“P-please, D-dad, d-don’t h-hurt m-me…”_

  


_The man knelt down in front of him, the smirk never leaving his lips. “Oh, sweet boy, you know I never hurt you.”_

  


_It’s a lie, a blatant lie that he could never tell his mother about. The man reached out and thumbed his cheek, the calloused skin felt disgusting on his smooth one. He shook the thumb away, tears still falling as he tried to shrink himself further._

  


_“P-please, s-stop…” He pleaded with shaky voice, mind whirring with awful scenarios as the man’s smirk grew wider._

  


_“Be a good boy and keep your mouth shut, yeah?” His screams got stuck in his throat as the devil reincarnated as a human hovered over him, slowly touching him-_

_*******_

  


Harry jolted up with a loud scream. He thrashed around the bed, gripping and yanking his hair, kicking the duvet away as Anne hurriedly came into his room. Her heart broke at the sight of her son desperately trying to fend off the invisible reigns holding him captive.

  


“Harry, love, it’s me, your mum.” Anne grabbed her thrashing son, pulling him into a tight embrace. Harry continued wailing, trying to escape from his mum’s hug, eyes closed shut.

  


“No! Let me go! Please stop!”

  


“Harry, please, wake up, honey. You’re safe, you’re with me. Please, darling.” Anne whispered soothingly into his ears, tears freely falling. She didn’t care about the painful hits; all she cared about was to bring her son back to her.

  


“Let go! P-please…” Harry’s screams had now turned into pitiful pleas. “P-please, s-stop h-hurting me… I can’t…”

  


Anne’s heart shattered into pieces when Harry let out gut-wrenching sobs as he gripped her sides so hard it would be bruised the next day. “You’re safe, sweetheart. I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you. I promise.”

  


She continued whispering soothing words as she tightened her hold on Harry, unbothered with the hot tears staining her nightgown, one hand gently caressing his hair as she kissed the top of his head repeatedly in an attempt to calm him, the other hand rubbing his back up and down. Eventually, Harry’s sobs turned to occasional sniffles until his breathing evened out and the grips on his mother’s sides loosened. He slumped within Anne’s embrace, and Anne pressed one last kiss to his temple before gently pushing him back to bed. She pushed away the stray curls on his forehead, pulled the duvet up to his chin and sat beside him. She tenderly wiped the tears on his cheeks, feeling the lump in her throat. Tears were welling up in her eyes, her heart completely broken to see how badly traumatised Harry was. She couldn’t help but wished that she knew sooner so she could save her son from the hell that was their home earlier.

  


She stayed with Harry, observing his sleeping form until the soft glow of the orange sun peeking through the blinds in Harry’s room, indicating that it’s going to be sunrise soon. She adjusted the duvet as she stood up, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. She walked to the door, lingered around for a while before shutting the door and make her way downstairs to prepare breakfast.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry woke up feeling sluggish, squinting his eyes when the sun pried itself from the curtain. He got out of bed, shuffling to the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror. He looked _horrendous_ ; puffy eyes, nose red and runny, cheeks stained with dried tears. His curls were unruly, most likely caused by his yanking. As he stared longer, more vivid images ran wild in his mind. He gripped the counter so hard his knuckles turned white and closed his eyes, desperately trying to erase the horrible flashbacks that had taken over his mind.

  


After a while, the images disappeared, leaving behind dark clouds invading every inch of his troubled mind. He shook his head, released the death grip on the counter, stripped out of his pyjamas and went under the shower, turning it to the warmer side. He stood motionless under the water, the temperature burning his skin but he didn’t care. He wished the hot water could wash away all his trauma and the imprints on his skin, ripped his skin apart and formed a new one; something that wasn’t _damaged and broken_.

  


He didn’t know how long he was in the shower, until a soft knock broke him out of his reverie.

  


“Harry, honey? Are you okay in there?”

  


_No_. “Yeah.” He winced at his croaky voice, the result from screaming his lungs out just a couple of hours ago. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m okay, Mum. Be out in a minute.” 

  


A few seconds passed in silence before he heard a soft _“okay”_ and the sound of retreating footsteps. He sighed in resignation, exhaustion evident all over his body. He quickly lathered himself with vanilla body wash and shampoo, switched off the shower and got out. He stole a glance to the mirror; his face looking more alive, skin a bit red from the hot water. He brushed his teeth, dried his hair and wore his outfit of the day – a light blue turtleneck, black skinny jeans, a black overcoat with little fur around the neck since it’d be chilly, and a pair of woollen black socks. He brushed his hair to the best of his ability, sweeping the fringe to the side, and sprayed his favourite Tom Ford cologne. He took one last look in the mirror. _At least he looked presentable enough_.

  


He joined his mum at the dining table, scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast. They ate in silence, his mum glancing every now and then above the newspaper she’s reading. He had an inkling that his mum wanted to talk, but honestly, he just didn’t have the energy to. He knew Anne held him until he fell asleep, he could tell that much.

  


“Thanks, Mum. For last night.”

  


Anne put down the newspaper. “How do you feel, darling?”

  


Harry sighed. “Like shit.” Anne raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m exhausted, but I’ll be okay, I think.”

  


Anne reached over and clasped his hand in hers. “I’m here if you want to talk about it, okay sweetheart?”

  


Harry forced a smile. “I know. Thanks, Mum.”

  


Anne smiled warmly, squeezing his hand one more time before letting go. She knew Harry didn’t want to talk, and he’s mentally drained, so she kept quiet. She sent him to school after breakfast, watching as Harry walked into the school grounds with a slump, head hanging low. It broke her heart, but she hoped that somehow, the lads could help Harry to find himself again, and not succumbed to the past.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Louis noticed something was _off_ with Harry the moment he saw him at the lockers earlier this morning. His shoulders were slumped, the usual excitement gone. He was in the middle of class with Zayn, yet he couldn’t focus as his mind wandered back to their encounter.

  


_“Harry?”_

  


_The green-eyed boy jumped a bit from the greeting, hands knocking the insides of the locker. He winced at the pain before turning to look at Louis._

  


_“Hey, Lou. Give a warning first next time yeah?” He chuckled lightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Louis stared at the emerald eyes that had captured his heart since the first time he saw them. It looked dead – two shiny glasses that held nothing but an invisible cloud. There was no trace of the sparkle that always seemed to glow whenever their eyes met. And it worried Louis to no end._

  


_“Harry, are you okay?”_

  


_Louis watched carefully as his smile faltered, his eyes looking even more dead. He saw the turmoil hidden beneath that beautiful orbs, and he could detect the pain Harry tried to mask under the smile. He wanted to know the enigma that was Harry Styles, wanted to know every story that made him who he was now._

  


_Harry coughed a bit. “Yeah, I’m good.”_

  


_He lied, but he knew better than to push the boy. He brought the boy into his arms. “I’ll be here if you ever want to talk about it, okay? No matter when, no matter what I’m doing. I’ll come running to you if you need me, Harry.”_

  


_Harry said nothing, but tightened his grip on his waist. The bell rang, prompting both boys to pull back. Louis smiled. “I’ll see you later yeah?”_

  


_Harry gave him a small smile, nodding as they made their way to their respective classes. Louis watched until Harry had safely made it to his classroom. He turned the opposite way and sprinted to his own class. A million questions ran through his mind, but he would ask later._

  


“Mr Tomlinson?”

  


Louis was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called. The whole class was already looking strangely at him. He cleared his throat. “Yes, Ms Moore?”

  


Ms Moore looked unimpressed. “Care to repeat what I just said?”

  


“Uh…” He scratched his neck, trying to find ways to escape when Zayn nudged him and pointed to the statement he had written in his book. “You were talking about the origin of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, and what it’s about.”

  


“What Sonnet 18 is all about then?”

  


Zayn subtly pointed at another statement. “It either depicts the fair youth adequately or not, and he tried to converse about immortality through the _‘eternal lines’_ , but somehow, he himself was aware that life itself is a contradiction; a fine line of mortality and immortality being conveyed perfectly in this sonnet.”

  


Ms Moore was a bit stunned, visibly impressed with his interpretation. “A good interpretation, Mr Tomlinson. Thank you very much.”

  


He nodded, and the lesson continued. “Thanks, Z. You saved me there.”

  


Zayn stared at his best mate carefully, his heavy gaze made Louis squirmed uncomfortably. “What?”

  


“You spaced out, Lou. What happened?”

  


Louis sighed, leaning against his chair. “ _Harry_ happened.”

  


Zayn’s careful stare turned into a worried one. “What’s wrong with Harry?”

  


“I don’t know, Z.” He sighed in frustration, concern laced in his tone. “I saw him at his locker, looking _lifeless_. He’s usually all smiles and bright, but the Harry I met? He looked _awful_.” He swiped his hand down his face. “He _jumped_ when I greeted him, a clear sign that his mind was somewhere else, and his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He lied when he said he was okay, _fuck_ , I know he wasn’t.” He looked at Zayn. “I saw the pain in his eyes, Z. His eyes were screaming for help, they were showing me so much emotions, and I know that he’s battling something, but he _wouldn’t let me in_.” His eyes were shiny with unshed tears. “Fuck, _I want to be there for him_ , Z.”

  


Zayn looked at his distraught friend. Sure, Louis was by default a very empathetic person, but he knew it’s more than that with Harry. Louis was drawn to Harry the first time they met, and he’s sure Harry was too. They both had things they’re dealing with, and Zayn had a feeling that _they’re just what the other needed_. Louis was aware of his own attachment to Harry, _hell_ , Zayn knew Louis would do _anything_ for Harry.

  


Zayn squeezed his shoulder. “I know, Lou, trust me, I know. I saw the way you look at him, the look that tells me that you would bend the earth if it means seeing Harry smile.” Louis giggled at that, not trying to correct him. “I think you need to give him time, and let him talk to you when he’s ready. I have a feeling that he had gone through so much, and he found it hard to open up and trust people.” Louis nodded. “Give him time, yeah? I’m sure he’ll come to you when he’s ready.”

  


Louis faced forward then, seemingly accepted the way Zayn consoled him. “Yeah, and I’ll be there when he’s ready to talk.”

  


Zayn grinned. “I’m sure you will.”

  


“Mr Malik, Mr Tomlinson.” Zayn and Louis snapped their heads forward, gulping when they saw the warning glare from Ms Moore. “One more time of not paying attention, I’ll give you detention.”

  


They ended up getting the detention due to Louis not being able to sit still, but he was glad that this time, he could bring Zayn down with him.

  


“Fuck you.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Louis met with Harry again during Math class, and he was glad to see that Harry had cheered up a bit; the smile was more genuine, the colour returning to his milky skin, and the sparkles he had come to adore twinkled in his gorgeous emerald eyes.

  


“Lou!”

  


He laughed when Harry waved excitedly at him, having paused whatever conversation he had with Liam to greet him. He noticed that Liam had left the middle seat empty, and with a quirk of an eyebrow and a nod, he sat down between Harry and Liam.

  


“Hey Curly.” He flashed his best smile, earning a huge grin from the boy. “Feeling better?”

  


Harry nodded. “Yeah! Things happened in Music.” He giggled while Liam chuckled, apparently having some flashbacks. Louis raised his eyebrows. “What happened?”

  


“It’s Ni.” Liam started, residual chuckles leaving his lips. “We were told to create a song as a group project, so we went to one of the practice rooms. During brainstorming, Ni got a little bit worked up, determined to make the song about food, since he loved food so much.” Liam rolled his eyes. “We argued for a bit, Ni adding pizza, chicken, ice-cream and other food in the lyrics, and at some point, instead of an actual song with meanings, it became a poem of food worshipping. I was ready to give up and switch groups when finally, Harry came up with some heartfelt lyrics, saving us from getting yelled at.”

  


Louis laughed loudly. It’s just so Niall to transfer his love and obsession for food into a song, claiming that it’s the form of the truest love.

  


“So, you can write songs, Curly?”

  


Harry blushed. “Um… a bit.”

  


“Will you show me?”

  


He quickly shook his head. “It’s embarrassing.”

  


Louis smiled. “I’m sure whatever you write isn’t embarrassing. It’s your way of expressing your feelings, isn’t it? Anything that came from the heart is never embarrassing, Harry.”

  


Harry looked at him incredulously, gaping at how ridiculous but comforting Louis sounded. He blushed beet red when Louis gave him a blinding smile that made the crinkles at the corner of his eyes appeared, honesty projected from the cerulean eyes he had come to admire.

  


“Okay, but promise me you won’t laugh when I show them to you.”

  


“Crossed my heart.”

  


Liam watched the exchange with an amused expression. He saw a bit of Louis in Harry, and in many ways, they were eerily similar; like a reflection in the mirror. The only difference was while Louis had the personality the sun – bright and radiant, Harry was a shadow deep in the forest; lost and empty. Louis had barrelled through life head-on, but Liam noticed that Harry was still struggling. However, he had faith that Louis would be the light at the end of the tunnel for Harry, and him, along with Zayn and Niall, would be there all the way.

  


Nearing the end of the class, Harry excused himself to go to the toilet. He was washing his hands when the door slammed open, startling Harry. He looked to the door and saw the one person he hated the most – Josh.

  


“Well hello there.” Josh smiled sweetly, his voice booming in the toilet. Harry shivered. “Alone today? Where are your _little protectors?_ Tired already?”

  


Harry took a step backwards, eyes flickering to any opening he could take to escape from but Josh was an athlete – _broad, muscular, and tall_. Harry was visibly trembling, his legs almost giving out as he kept walking backwards to distance himself from the menace.

  


“W-what d-do y-you w-want?”

  


Josh laughed, the ugly sound echoing through the tiles. He looked at Harry, taking slow but commanding steps forwards. Eventually, Harry’s back bumped into the wall, effectively closing any chance to escape. He stared at Josh who had a hungry look in his eyes, licking his lips while moving his eyes up and down Harry’s body like a predator. Harry felt suffocated, the air stuck in his airway, and he struggled to breathe as Josh stepped closer until he could feel his breath in his ear.

  


_“I want you to be a good boy.”_

  


With that, he licked his ear, down to his neck. Harry’s body locked up, his mind was screaming for him to _run, escape_ from the attacker, but his body failed to respond. He trembled vigorously, pitiful whimpers leaving his lips as Josh continued his ministrations; one hand slipped into his shirt, roughly gripping the skin on his body, while the other travelled down until it reached the waistband of his jeans. Harry tried to shake the hand away but received a harsh slap on his stomach that would surely leave a bruise.

  


“Stay still.”

  


_*******_

_It was late at night, and the house was quiet. He was lying on his bed, sleeping when his door opened, a soft creaking sound following it. He cracked open an eye, seeing a silhouette at the doorway, slowly shutting the door behind it. His eyes opened wide when he realised who it was. He sat up in alarm._

  


_“D-dad? W-what a-are y-you d-doing h-here?”_

  


_The man walked closer, a finger on his lips. “Shh, boy, you don’t want to wake your mum and sister now, do you?”_

  


_He crawled onto the bed as the boy scooted closer to the headboard. The moonlight reflected the pure evil glinting in that man’s eyes, the smirk making the devilish feature prominent. He reached out to the boy, pulling his ankles towards him. The boy fell flat on his back, mouth parted to scream but quickly silenced by a large, calloused palm. He thrashed around, but received a painful jab to his side._

  


_“Stay still.”_

_*******_

  


“P-please, s-stop…” Harry pleaded with teary eyes, but Josh paid him no mind. He put his large palm over Harry’s mouth, silencing him as he continued licking and his free hand slipping inside his jeans. He groped him for a while before his fingers found themselves inside his boxers and teased his hole. Harry gasped at this, tears flowing rapidly like waterfalls as he tried to avoid the offending fingers.

  


“N-no, p-please, p-please, s-stop…” his pleas were muffled behind Josh’s palm, but Josh only tightened it, circling his finger around the rim. Harry was fully crying now, his mind begging for someone to stop Josh.

  


_Please, someone, anyone, please help me._

  


The door swung open just as Josh tried to insert his finger inside. He turned his head around, finding Louis standing at the doorway, his worried face immediately morphed into that of an anger.

  


“What the fuck you think you’re doing?!”

  


He marched forward and yanked Josh away from Harry, making him fall with a loud thud on the floor. He wasted no time in throwing solid punches to Josh’s face, muttering curses.

  


“You fucking asshole!” _Punch._ “You dare touch Harry with your filthy hands!” _Punch._ “I’ll kill you!”

  


He wasn’t thinking; all he cared about was _Harry was hurting_. Harry was crying and trembling and it was all because of this asshole. He didn’t realise the blood trickling down from Josh’s face, too caught up in his anger to fathom the weak attempts of defence from Josh. The door swung open once more, revealing Liam. He gasped in horror at the sight; Louis straddling Josh while throwing punches, blood smeared around the floor and their shirts, while Harry was sat on the floor, eyes wide, breaths ragged and body shaking.

  


“Louis! Lou, stop! Pull yourself together!” He tried to separate him from Josh, but was roughly pushed.

  


“Get off, Liam! I’m not done with this fucker.” He was about to throw another punch when Liam used all his strength to yank him away and pushed him against the sink.

  


“Fucking stop, Lou! He’s not worth it! Go help Harry!” At the mention of Harry, Louis’ anger left him completely, concern taking over his entire being. He shrugged Liam’s hands off him, and made his way to the shaken Harry. Liam bent down and put his arm around Josh’s limp body, lifting him up and out the toilet, to the infirmary. He'd be sure to visit the headmaster's office to report about this.

  


“Harry? Haz?” He put his hands on Harry’s arm, eyes frantically searching for the last remnants of reality in his clouded eyes. “Haz, Hazza, look at me, please.”

  


His eyes were on Louis, but he knew Harry was not here. He was hyperventilating, tears streaming down his cheeks. The emerald eyes that once held stars, now glazed with a dark forest, as dark as the moonless night. His heart broke at the sight, so he took Harry in his arms, embracing him tightly. Harry gripped his sides with such force that had him winced lightly, but he didn’t care.

  


“Hazza, come back to me, please. I’m here, I’m here to protect you. Breathe with me, Haz.” He whispered soothing words, guiding Harry to follow his breathing. “That’s it, focus on my heartbeat. In, out, in, out.” He rubbed his back in a soothing manner, another hand cradled his head. He felt the vigorous trembles had now turned into sobs as he struggled to follow his instructions, and Harry was fully hugging him, holding onto him for dear life.

  


“Let it out, Haz. It’s okay, you’re safe now. I’m here, no one can hurt you now.” He continued his ministrations as sobs turned to soft sniffles, swaying them back and forth. His shirt was drenched with tears, but he couldn’t care less. If it’s for Harry, he would do absolutely anything.

  


Moments later, Harry’s a lot calmer, yet his hold on Louis hadn’t loosened. Louis let him be, kissing his temple softly. “You’re okay, Haz. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you. I promise.” Harry eventually let him go, albeit slowly, the clouds vanishing from his vision. Louis watched as the dark, impending shadow left his eyes, replaced with a pair of fresh, green eyes, shiny with tears pooling in them.

  


He smiled. “There you are.” He caressed his cheeks, beaming at the faint blush forming. “Glad to have you back with me.” He pressed his forehead to Harry’s, blue never leaving green.

  


Harry breathed in deeply, finally feeling the murky thoughts leaving him, finding his voice back. “Thank you.”

  


Louis grinned, pulling back a little. “None of that, Haz. Now, can you stand?” Harry nodded. “Good. Let’s get you to the nurse.” He helped Harry to stand, having to support him as Harry stood with shaky legs. He adjusted Harry’s clothes before tucking himself under Harry’s arms, heavily supporting his body weight as he leaned completely into Louis. They made their way out to the infirmary, earning curious glances and surprised gasps from the students in the hallway. He ignored them, and as soon as they reached the nurse’s office, one of the nurse quickly helped him, placing Harry on one of the vacant beds. Another one tended to his bloodied knuckles.

  


“Louis, what happened?”

  


“I was in class, getting worried when Harry hadn’t returned after some time from the toilet. So I went to check, and I found that prick,” holding his chin up, gesturing to Josh. “with his hands all over Harry. I got mad, and I punched him.”

  


The nurse nodded, sighing. “I don’t understand why the school hadn’t take any action on Josh, considering that this is not the first time.” She cleaned the cuts on his hands with water before applying some yellow solution he didn’t know the name of, covered his knuckles with gauze and bandaging them securely. “He had done this multiple times, but there wasn’t any witness, so he got away.” She looked at him, smiling with hope. “I hope he gets what he deserved this time.”

  


Louis nodded, thanking her softly before making his way to Harry. Liam was already there, talking with Harry. Niall and Zayn were there too, acting as support, as the school ended 10 minutes prior. Niall hugged him as soon as he spotted him. 

  


“Hey Tommo.” He patted his back. “You alright?”

  


Louis laughed, showing his bandaged knuckles. “I’m great, Nialler, thanks for asking.” He turned towards Harry. “How do you feel?”

  


He shrugged. “Like shit.” All the boys chuckled. “But I’m okay now. Thanks to you.” He blushed slightly, lowering his gaze to his lap. The other boys snickered, while Louis just grinned brightly.

  


“So what are we, H? Just some _bystanders_ that don’t deserve a recognition for showing up?” Niall bumped his fist to Harry’s shoulder, making him pout adorably.

  


“Of course not. You guys are great friends.” He smiled. “But Louis punched that jerk, so he’s my knight in shining armour.” He said it so nonchalantly that the boys couldn’t help but laugh as Louis’ cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. He scrunched his nose fondly, smiling as Harry regained his cheerful manner surrounded by their friends.

  


“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve called Harry’s mum and she’ll be here shortly.” The nurse who was tending to Harry earlier informed them, smiling when she received five nods from the boys who thanked her for her care. They talked for a little while before a worried-looking Anne burst into the room, immediately hugging Harry.

  


“Oh, honey, are you alright?”

  


Harry smiled at her, nodding. “Yeah, no need to worry, Mum. I’m alright.” He lowered his voice. “I will be. Eventually.”

  


The boys heard that, but they said nothing. They laughed as Harry whined when Anne fussed over him, slightly pink in the cheeks from embarrassment but Anne didn’t care. He mumbled something under his breath that caused Anne to softly smack his shoulder. She then took the boys home with her after Harry requested with doe eyes, in which the boys having no problem agreeing. Harry grinned with joy, sliding to the backseat, pulling Louis next to him as Liam and Zayn crammed beside them. Niall happily took the co-driver’s seat, and as they drove away, the boys talked about their day and bickered endlessly. Harry kept his head on Louis’ shoulder, snuggling closer to the safety and warmth that were only provided by _Louis_.

  


At home, they helped Anne to prepare dinner (a normal occurrence in the household), and they ate together, talking like a huge, happy family. Anne shook her head when Louis kept stealing food from the others, Zayn flicking his food towards Louis as retaliation, making a mess of the table, Niall and Harry arguing over the best fast food, and Liam casually recording the whole ordeal with his phone. After that, they cleaned the table and dirty dishes, lounging in the living room to watch a movie.

  


“Not Grease _again_ , please.” Niall pleaded dramatically. Louis rolled his eyes. “It’s _Harry’s_ choice today, Nialler. Not mine, so get your pitiful arse off my face.”

  


He shoved Niall from his spot on the couch, causing him to fall on the floor. He rubbed his sore bum, glaring at Louis as he mumbled “fucking Tommo and his Tommo way”, getting himself up and sat on the plush armchair. Liam and Zayn settled on the loveseat, while Harry and Louis were cuddled up on the big couch. Harry was staring at Liam and Zayn, observing their closeness and blushed when they kissed. He averted his gaze to Louis, finding that he was already looking at him.

  


“Why were you blushing?”

  


He glanced over to the pair, before scooting closer to whisper to Louis. “Do they… um… do they always do _that_?”

  


Louis looked over to where Harry was pointing, and giggled when he saw Liam and Zayn making out. Niall was making a gagging sound, taking the remote and flipping the channels mindlessly. He turned his head to Harry, mimicking his posture.

  


“Yeah, they always do that. Wherever they are, and whenever they can.” Harry blushed crimson, abruptly hiding his face in the crook of Louis’ neck, feeling the vibrations of Louis’ laughter in his chest. _So that was what Zayn meant when he said he ‘did’ his boyfriend_.

  


“So, Harry, what are we watching tonight? Horror? Thriller? Romance? Rom-com?”

  


Harry looked up from his hiding spot in Louis’ neck, weighing his options before choosing. “The Notebook, please.”

  


“Are you _making fun_ of me, Harry? Just because I’m the _loner_ here?” Niall put on a faux-hurt expression, making the lads laugh. “It’s a good movie, Ni, and if I remember correctly, it’s my choice tonight, isn’t it?”

  


Niall rolled his eyes. “Fine. Lou’s sassiness had rubbed off on you, huh? You cheeky little shits.” He pressed play on The Notebook, leaning against the armchair. Harry giggled, tucking himself under Louis’ arm, getting comfortable. He put his head on Louis’ chest, an arm draped across his stomach as he listened to the calming beats of his heart. Louis smiled, one hand playing with Harry’s curls, beaming when Harry sighed in contentment. His other hand tracing patterns on Harry’s forearm against his stomach. Zayn and Liam were pressed close together, heads leaning against each other as they watched the movie.

  


Little sniffles could be heard, mainly from Harry and Louis. Zayn and Liam might have had unshed tears, while Niall watched with an unamused expression, snacking on whatever he could find from the cabinet. By the time the movie ended, Harry was a sobbing mess, Louis gently coaxing him by swaying them back and forth (even though he was in tears himself). It’s getting late, and as the boys stood up stretching themselves and yawning, Harry tugged Louis’ sleeves, making him look at him with an eyebrow raised.

  


“What’s up, Haz?”

  


He blushed and looked down, mumbling something that Louis couldn’t quite catch. He sat back beside Harry, putting two fingers under Harry’s chin and moving his head so they could look at each other. “What is it, Haz? Tell me.”

  


He took a deep breath, trying his best to hold his gaze. “C-can you, um… c-can you spend t-the night? Please?”

  


His words came out barely as a whisper, so Louis had to strain his ears to understand what he was saying. When he did, his heartbeat quickened, and he searched Harry’s eyes. There was a clear vulnerability present in his eyes, but behind that, his eyes glimmered with hope. Louis smiled, letting go of his chin. “Sure, but let me just ask my dad and you ask Anne, okay?”

  


Harry’s smile was so precious, it erupted butterflies in Louis’ stomach. He nodded and quickly got up to find Anne as Louis took out his phone to text Dan. After receiving permission, he looked up to find Harry walking towards him with a smile that rivalled the sun itself.

  


“She said yes.” Louis laughed. “Yeah, mine said okay too.”

  


Anne emerged from the kitchen. “You boys ready to go home?”

  


Three heads nodded. Zayn spoke up. “Yeah, and you don’t have to send us home, Anne. My mum’s coming to get us.” He smiled at her, not wanting to trouble the lady any more. Anne nodded as she joined the boys in the living room, getting to know more about the boys. She kept stealing glances to Harry and Louis, who seemed to be cosied up together with subtle touches and she didn’t miss the blush on her son’s cheeks whenever Louis looked at him. Her heart warmed at the sight, silently wishing that Harry could contain that smile forever.

  


15 minutes later, Zayn’s phone pinged, and he informed the group that his mum’s already arrived. They all went out, Anne greeting Zayn’s mum, Trisha as the boys clambered into the backseat. Louis stayed behind, waving as the car drove off. They headed back inside, exchanging good nights and followed Harry to his room. He took his time admiring the room – white, pristine walls and ceiling, AC stuck strategically above the railings of the embroidered creamy curtains, a queen-sized bed right in the middle with a large, plush rug in white on the floor beside the bed. There was a black vanity dresser situated at the corner, two black nightstands on both sides of the bed with bedside lamp, and a black closet across the bed. There’s another door, which Louis assumed was the bathroom.

  


“Nice room. I like it.”

  


Harry, who had been fidgeting nervously the whole time Louis was inspecting his room, exhaled a deep breath. He was worried that Louis would think his room was _too plain_ , and he didn’t even know why Louis’ opinion mattered so much to him, but he wanted Louis to like his room, because this was him; a boy that was constantly battling the dark moments in his life while simultaneously trying to hold onto the light.

  


“Yeah? It’s not too boring?”

  


Louis laughed. “Let me just say… it’s so _you_. And that is _far_ from boring, I promise.” He looked at him, smiling. “It just means that you're somewhere in the middle between a dark place and the unknown future. And we're here to bring colours into your life.”

  


Harry finally let out a genuine smile. “You already did.”

  


Louis beamed. “We’ll add more then.”

  


They both laughed, before Harry pushed him to the bathroom, urging him to shower. He gave him a spare towel, toiletries, and his clothes, shoving them all in his arms. Louis chuckled at how nervous Harry was, but took them anyway and went inside the bathroom. Harry watched as the bathroom door closed, and he smiled to himself as he sat on the bed. He looked over to the glass sliding door, basking under the moonlight before he got up and closed the curtains. Just then, Louis got out, and he was entranced by the sight of Louis in his clothes. He was bigger than Louis by a bit, so the clothes were quite baggy on him.

  


“They’re a bit big, which is fair, considering that you have broad shoulders. But they’re comfy, so thanks.” Louis grinned, putting the towel in the laundry basket, and folded his own clothes into his bag. He then looked over to Harry who was still standing, mouth a little parted. He smirked.

  


“Like what you see?”

  


Harry snapped back to reality then, mouth opening and closing like a fish but nothing came out. Instead, he rushed into the bathroom with an armful of clothes, leaning against the door as soon as he shut it. He stared at the ceiling, biting his lip as he smiled. _It’s real. Louis was in his room_.

  


He looked at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes twinkling under the fluorescent light. He stripped and took a quick shower, wanting to join Louis as soon as possible. He dried himself, brushed his teeth and put on his pyjamas, walking out to find Louis already making himself comfortable on the bed, star fishing right in the middle. He chuckled at the sight before swatting his arm.

  


“Move over, Lou. Stop hogging the bed.”

  


Louis grumbled, rolling over to the left side of the bed, lifting the duvet off and patting the empty side. Harry bit his bottom lip, slowly crawling onto the bed and landed himself right beside Louis. They stayed like that in comfortable silence, until Harry broke it.

  


“Lou?”

  


“Hmm?”

  


He shifted to his side, a hand under his cheek. Louis did the same, and they’re facing each other.

  


“I want to, um, thank you for being there for me.” He started, voice a bit shaky, whispering. “It’s obvious that, um, I’m _not_ normal. Panic attacks are normal occurrences for me.” He took in a deep breath. “I, um, I can’t tell you much yet, but, um, I-I want to. J-just, not now.”

  


Harry was struggling with his words, so Louis pulled him into a comforting embrace, cradling his head against his chest. “Just because you have panic attacks doesn’t mean you’re _not_ normal.” He felt Harry’s hot breath tickling his chest. “It happens to people, and I promise you, it’s okay, Haz.” He planted a soft kiss to the top of his head. “I’m dying to know your story, but I’ll wait until you’re ready. I promise.”

  


“You can’t promise something you can’t keep, Lou.” Harry’s voice was muffled, but Louis heard it. He tightened his hold on Harry.

  


“I never make promises that I can’t keep, Haz. I’ll be here all the way, and I’ll prove it to you. Just, _let me_ , okay?”

  


Harry was silent for a while, seemingly trying to process his words before he nodded subtly. He still had his doubts, since he could never fully trust a person until things were proven. But somehow, he wanted to believe Louis’ words. Louis had been there so far, to the point that he even punched someone for Harry’s sake. The future was still so far ahead, but he wanted to believe that Louis would be there all the way.

  


“Thank you." Harry stopped for a while. "And I like it when you call me _Haz_ or _Hazza_." Louis laughed.

  


"I'll call you just that."

  


Harry closed his eyes, inhaling Louis’ natural scent clad in his own. He felt Louis carding his fingers through his curls and the vibrations inside his chest as he sang softly.

  


_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You’ll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light_

_You and I’ll be safe and sound_

  


Harry fell asleep with a smile, lulled by the Louis’ sweet, raspy voice. That night, he drifted off to a sweet dreamland, where they were lying on the grass side by side, joking around while gazing at the millions of stars blanketing the night sky. And for once in his life, he looked forward into the future, a future with Louis.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for the comments, kudos, bookmarks and hits! I planned to post this chapter earlier but I had to rewrite a major part of it, so yeah here's the one!
> 
> There are some sensitive words in here, so I apologise in advance if you're uncomfortable with it.
> 
> So, um, I guess buckle up?
> 
> Enjoy xx

# I'm Just Like You

### 

  


Louis woke up with a mop of wild curls that smelt like vanilla right under his nose. It tickled, but for some reason, he wanted to bury his face into that bird nest because it was so _inviting and comfy_. He nuzzled his face further, squinting as the soft orange glow of the early morning sun emitted through the creamy curtain. He stole a glance to the digital clock on the nightstand: _6.30am_.

  


He yawned, closing his eyes again as he gently carded his fingers through the messy curls, careful not to wake up the boy in his arms. The boy stirred a bit, but as he tightened his hold, the stirring ceased. Louis smiled, but then he was brutally reminded of yesterday’s incident. He knew that they needed to talk it out with the principal, because what Josh did was unacceptable. Josh saw how _vulnerable_ Harry was, how he was easily shaken just by a wicked smirk, and took advantage on that. Harry might have had recovered, but he knew it wasn’t that easy. _They needed to talk_.

  


He didn’t realise Harry was awake, silently watching him until he finally looked down and found the beautiful emerald orbs staring at him, a shy smile on his lips. He smiled.

  


“Good morning sunshine. Slept well?”

  


He laughed when Harry ducked his head and buried his face in the crook of his neck, seemingly blushing in embarrassment and _giddiness_.

  


“Good morning.” Harry peeked from his hiding spot. “I slept like a baby, thank you.”

  


Louis beamed, pulling away to look at the sweet boy, earning a disapproving whine and a pout from him. He brushed his thumb over his cheek, staring at him with a serious expression. Harry sensed the change, and he fidgeted nervously.

  


“U-um, w-what are you thinking?”

  


Louis sighed. “We need to talk, Haz.”

  


The serene moment they shared just a little while ago shattered at Louis’ words. Harry had a feeling that Louis wanted to talk about yesterday, and he didn’t know if he was ready for it or not. But he knew he couldn’t keep running away, so he nodded.

  


Louis sat up on the bed, Harry did the same. They were sitting cross-legged facing each other, Harry playing with the hem of his pyjama shirt, waiting for Louis to initiate the conversation. Louis cleared his throat.

  


“What happened yesterday, was utterly despicable, and shouldn’t have happened to anyone, _especially_ you.” Harry gulped. “When I was getting my knuckles bandaged, the nurse said it wasn’t the first time, so there are people in our school that had fallen victim to his twisted action. However, he never got any punishment since the victims were too scared to speak up, and no witnesses had stumbled upon him when he did it.”

  


Louis watched as Harry shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting, his whole body was shaking slightly. He carefully chose his next words. “You need to talk to the principal, Haz.”

  


Harry snapped his head to Louis then. His eyes held so much fear in them that Louis contemplated on withdrawing the suggestion, but Harry needed to do this. His bottom lip was quivering, and he shook his head.

  


“N-no, L-Lou, I c-can’t…”

  


Louis gently reached out and took his hands in his. The tremor in his voice shook him to the core. “Haz, Hazza, look at me.” Harry kept shaking his head, eyes closed, forcing Louis to scoot closer and cupped his face.

  


“Open your eyes, Haz. Look at me, please.”

  


His voice was so soft that Harry couldn’t help but comply, the shaking ceasing for a bit. His voice was calming, and his worked up nerves slightly relaxed at the low timbre of his voice. He stared at the piercing sapphire eyes, glowing with specks of gold in his irises; an effect from the intruding rays of sunshine.

  


“You only said you can’t because you think you’d be alone, but _I’m here_ , remember? I won’t let you go through this alone, Haz. And if you’re still unconvinced, I’ll call the lads and you know they won’t hesitate when it comes to you.” Louis held his gaze on Harry, wanting him to trust him. “Plus, when you do this, you will help other victims to show up and tell their side of the story, Haz. You’ll be their _saviour_ , because you’re _brave_.”

  


Harry wanted to cry, simply because no one had ever been this _kind_ , this _patient_ with him. He had his mum, yes, but that was different. It’s his mum, his flesh and blood, but this was _Louis_. A literal stranger he met just a month ago, a stranger that had already impacted his life in more ways that he could ever imagine.

  


“Y-you p-promise you’ll b-be there?”

  


Louis smiled, holding his palm up. “I swear.”

  


Harry let the dam broke, hiccupping slightly as the tears fell down, chuckling when Louis grimaced at the snot coming out of his nose. He used the sleeve of Harry’s pyjama shirt to wipe the snot, his expression disgusted when he saw the mucus. He tried to wipe it on Harry’s pants, but Harry evaded the motion, quickly getting up and ran to the bathroom, laughing. Louis chuckled, ridding himself of the snot-covered shirt and snuggled himself into the towel he used last night. He got in after Harry, and wore some of Harry’s smaller clothes – a white, plain t-shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans that fit snugly around his bum and thighs, a pair of smiley, white socks, and a grey beanie. Harry beamed at the prospect of Louis in his clothes, again, and he really liked it.

  


They went downstairs, finding Anne already whipping them delicious breakfast – sandwiches. Anne was nowhere to be found, but judging from a mug of hot tea at the head of the table, she was there just a moment ago. They talked as the tea was brewing, turning when they heard footsteps in the hallway. Anne emerged with a big smile.

  


“Good morning boys.” She hugged both boys. “Did you sleep well?”

  


Louis snorted. “No, Harry snored, and it was annoying.”

  


Harry’s jaw dropped open. “I did not!”

  


“Did too.”

  


“Did not.”

  


Anne giggled as she watched the boys bicker like children, shaking her head as she sat down at the table. They joined her in a heart-warming breakfast, and for a moment, Louis was lost in thoughts, being reminded of the days when his mum would be busy in the kitchen with an army of children to feed, scolding them when they made a mess but always smiled afterwards, giving in to their antics. He was brought back to the present when a foot nudged his shin. He turned to look at Harry, concern etched on his face.

  


“You okay?”

  


Louis smiled. “Yeah, just reminded of old times is all.”

  


Harry nodded, but not fully believing Louis’ words. He felt like Louis had lost someone in his life, someone very dear to him judging from the way Louis always spaced out whenever he saw Anne fussing over him or even when they were hugging. He wanted to know, but he told himself he would wait. After all, he himself hadn’t opened up to Louis yet, so it’s only fair.

  


“Okay boys, let’s get you to school.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Louis noticed something different as soon as they entered the building. Hushed whispers, curious glances, the pitiful looks directed towards Harry, and the obnoxiously quiet corridor. He felt the anxiety radiating off of Harry, and the way he kept fidgeting, eyes darting from one face to another with his head hung low, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt made him anxious too. He slung an arm around his shoulders, bringing his lips to whisper into Harry’s ear.

  


“Ignore them, Haz. You’re okay. I’m here.”

  


And Harry _tried_ , really tried to ignore them. He knew there would be rumours circulating around the school, with how some of the students saw Louis carrying him out of the toilet with bloodied knuckles. They must have had seen Liam taking Josh away too, and it didn’t take much to put two and two together. He was still shaking as he put his books in his locker, Louis watching over him in concern. It wasn’t long until Niall, Liam and Zayn came bounding off, acting indifferent towards the stares and whispers. They latched themselves to Louis and Harry, talking as if nothing happened.

  


“Jeez, these guys don’t know a thing called ‘subtle’, huh?”

  


Niall huffed in annoyance when the staring and whispering didn’t cease. He was sending death glares to everyone along with Zayn, occasionally checking up on Harry as the five of them walked along the hallway. Harry didn’t look up even once, simply letting the boys dragged him along.

  


“Don’t worry about it, Harry. They’ll know the truth soon enough.”

  


Zayn patted his back reassuringly, trying to channel his support through the contact. Harry managed a small smile, the turmoil inside him finally letting him breathe. Soon, though, they reached Harry’s and Niall’s classroom, and the dread came back full force. They bid their goodbyes and as Louis, Liam and Zayn were walking away, Harry’s eyes widened, quickly grabbing Louis’s wrist. Louis almost stumbled backwards but regained his composure when he saw the fearful look in Harry’s eyes. _The dark forest was creeping in again_.

  


He gestured for Liam and Zayn to go ahead, and Niall walked into the classroom with a nod. He turned his head towards Harry, who had his gaze fixed onto him. He gently pried his wrist away from Harry’s grip, closing his hands around his instead.

  


“Haz?”

  


“L-Lou…” He was on the verge of tears. “I-I c-can’t… I mean, t-this thing w-with J-Josh… it’s s-scary and I don’t know i-if I can t-talk about it by myself.” He unconsciously intertwined their fingers together, the palms sweaty from nerves. “W-what if t-they d-don’t believe m-me? W-what if t-they wanted t-to t-talk to m-me alone? I’m n-not b-brave enough, Lou…” He stammered so much it broke Louis’ heart. “A-and w-what if J-Josh is there t-too? W-what if h-he t-tries to do something?” He finally cried. “I-I c-can’t do t-this a-alone…”

  


Louis’ heart shattered to pieces as the boy broke down in front of him. He had an inkling that Harry wasn’t good with confrontations, and this just confirmed it. He was so _scared_ , and he almost looked like a child being cornered; _helpless and weak_. He brought the boy into his arms, in which he immediately clutched the back of his shirt tightly, silently sobbing into his chest.

  


“Haz, you know I won’t let you deal with this alone. Either way, they will need to see me too. If they call you alone, and you’re scared, you can always request for me.” He whispered softly to the boy. “But for now, you need to go inside, and stay with Niall, alright?”

  


The thing was, Harry didn’t want to stay with Niall. Sure, Niall was a great friend, and he felt safe with him, but he’s not _Louis_. But what choice did he have? It was the best he could get, at least until he saw Louis again. He took a deep breath, inhaling Louis scent mixed with his, a great combination that he liked, and pulled away slowly. He wiped the tears with his sleeves.

  


“Okay.” His voice was rough from the sobbing. “I’ll see you soon?”

  


Louis smiled. “Very soon.”

  


He nodded, taking one last breath before entering the classroom, heading straight to the seat beside Niall. Niall gave him a side hug once he sat down, a gesture that was greatly appreciated.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


It wasn’t until lunchtime that he finally met Louis again. He practically ran out of his classroom to the cafeteria, leaving Zayn to chase after him and ignoring the look from other students. Once he spotted Louis, Liam and Niall at their usual table, he dragged Zayn and plopped beside a surprised Louis, putting his head on his shoulder. He knew people were watching, but he couldn’t care less. All he cared was how peaceful he felt when he was with Louis.

  


Louis chuckled, amused. “What are you doing, Haz?”

  


Harry shook his head. “Just glad to see you.” He mumbled quietly, but Louis heard anyway. He laughed, the vibrations reverberating and sending shivers to Harry’s body.

  


“You should’ve seen him, mate. The way he practically jumped out of his seat once the bell rang.” Zayn said from across the table, amused with Harry’s actions. “I’ve never seen anyone moved that fast, and it’s _Harry_ we’re talking about.”

  


Harry looked up then, narrowing his eyes towards Zayn. “What does that supposed to mean?”

  


Zayn smirked. “You’re the _clumsiest_ person I’ve ever met, Harry, so the fact that you, of all people didn’t _trip_ from that movement and from the sprint, I’m thoroughly impressed.”

  


The lads laughed out loud then, making Harry blush as he buried his face onto Louis' shoulder, mumbling “’m not clumsy” but smiled nevertheless. Louis grinned, happy that they could always brighten Harry up at the end of the day. They talked and teased, successfully ignoring the incessant stares from the students around them. It wasn’t long until the double door was opened, revealing Rebecca. She scanned the cafeteria, and landed her eyes on the lads. She made her way there, her face serious and solemn.

  


“Louis? Harry?”

  


Louis and Harry snapped their heads to the voice, surprised to see Rebecca standing there with a concerned look. “Bec!” The lads said simultaneously, and she nodded. “What brought you here?” Louis asked, noting the “this is serious” gesture.

  


“The principal wants to see you two after lunch about what happened yesterday.” She flicked her eyes from Louis to Harry. She must have noticed the panicked look on Harry’s face because her expression softened. “Don’t worry, Harry. He wants to see you both, not separately.” She smiled at the relieved sigh Harry breathed out.

  


Louis smiled. “Alright, we’ll be there. Thank you, Bec.”

  


She nodded before leaving the cafeteria, all eyes on them again. Lunch would be over in 10 minutes, so they spent a few more moments talking before the bell rang and they went separate ways. Louis was trying to calm Harry down, occasionally playing with Harry’s curls as they waited outside the principal’s office. It was dreadful, and when Rebecca ushered them to go inside, Harry froze. It took Louis holding him, whispering soothing words to get him going, and they were greeted with a warm smile from the principal, Mr Isaacs.

  


“Have a seat, Mr Tomlinson, Mr Styles.”

  


Harry was trembling, hiding behind Louis the whole time until Louis dragged him to the seat beside him, gesturing for him to sit. He did, but his eyes never leaving Louis. He unconsciously scooted the chair closer to Louis until their knees were touching. Mr Isaacs cleared his throat.

  


“First of all, Mr Styles.” Harry reluctantly looked at the principal. “How are you feeling?”

  


“F-fine?” It came out more of a question than a statement. Louis thumbed his knee. “I-I mean, I’m d-doing better, I t-think.” Louis smiled, nodding. Mr Isaacs nodded slightly.

  


“Would you please enlighten me about what happened yesterday?”

  


Harry visibly gulped, frantically searching for the right words to say. His hands were getting clammy, his breaths coming out shorts as the images from yesterday came flooding in. He felt Louis’ hand on his fists, grounding him with such force that calmed his senses, allowing him to re-focus on the situation at hand. He took a deep breath before recounting the story to the principal as best as he could. Once he was done with his part of the story, Mr Isaacs turned to Louis.

  


“Mr Tomlinson, I was under the impression that you attacked Mr Armstrong to protect Mr Styles, is that correct?”

  


Louis nodded. “I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. Harry is my friend, and seeing him being sexually assaulted enraged me. For that, I’m not sorry.”

  


Mr Isaacs nodded, seemingly satisfied. He clasped his hands, bringing it under his chin. “Very well, Mr Styles, Mr Tomlinson. The school will conduct an investigation, and we will get to the bottom of this. I was also told that there were others who went through the same situation as you, Mr Styles, and we’d hoped with your admission, they will find the courage to speak up and with that, help us to punish Mr Armstrong accordingly.” Mr Isaacs reached out a hand to Harry, a smile on his face. “You did the right thing, Mr Styles, and I’m proud of you.”

  


Harry felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. _I’m proud of you_. Those words repeated themselves in a loop, positively impacting his inner turmoil. He smiled, a newfound strength planted itself within him as he shook Mr Isaacs’ hand.

  


“Thank you so much, Mr Isaacs.”

  


He nodded, and he turned towards Louis. “And as for you, Mr Tomlinson, while I admire and condone your sense of protectiveness, you still _punched_ Mr Armstrong.” His features were that of an amused man, a smile playing on his lips. “So I think, it’s only fair that you got a detention for that.”

  


Harry widened his eyes, opening his mouth to argue but Louis beat him out of it with a laugh. “Sure thing, Mr Isaacs. I don’t mind watering the plants in our school garden for a week.”

  


Harry looked at him disbelievingly, missing the wink from Mr Isaacs. “Alright then, Mr Tomlinson. Your detention starts tomorrow, for three days.” He chuckled as Louis nodded with a grin, Harry still trying to process whatever the hell was going on. “You are excused. I give you my word, Mr Armstrong will get what he deserves. Again, thank you for speaking up, Mr Styles. We appreciate your bravery.”

  


They left the office feeling lighter than ever, but Harry couldn’t help feeling guilty for being the reason for Louis’ detention, again.

  


“Lou, I-”

  


Louis rolled his eyes. “Haz, stop. It was worth it, okay? Besides, it’s just watering plants, I’ve been in worse detention before.” He laughed, before turning to face Harry again. “ _You’re_ worth it, Haz. And I’m so, so _proud_ of you.”

  


Harry shouldn’t feel happy, but he did. The fact that Louis told him he’s proud of him made the butterflies lying dormant in his stomach fluttered their wings and freely taking flight, splashes of colours making their permanent stay in his heart, slowly but surely replacing the world he had so often seen in black and white. He wanted to hold onto the feelings, and he hoped Louis would let him.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


It’s not until after Louis’ detention was over that they finally got news about Josh’s punishment. Apparently, after Harry’s confession, more students had finally met Mr Isaacs for their own experiences with Josh. According to them, Josh had threatened to humiliate them if they ever spoke to anyone about it, even as far as spreading the videos. Also, because Josh was a senior, and a popular jock, people would prefer his words over them.

  


Harry almost vomited when he heard the story from Mr Isaacs himself, disgusted to the core. He never thought such twisted predator was roaming free inside the school grounds, but he was glad that Josh was finally expelled from the school. After that incident, some of the victims had come up to him, conveying their gratitude and saying they found their courage because of him. He felt an overwhelming surge of pride, happy to be of help.

  


“Told you you’d help a lot of people.” Louis grabbed him into a side hug one day after a girl approached them and brought Harry into a teary embrace, thanking him profusely. He was shocked, but returned the gesture warmly. Harry grinned, a faint blush on his cheeks.

  


“Wouldn’t have done it without you though.”

  


Louis laughed, jabbing his side. “Give yourself some credit, Haz. You deserve it. And I’m _fucking proud_ of you.”

  


Harry’s insides felt warm, the tingling sensation in his stomach becoming prominent the more Louis said he’s proud of him. He didn’t know why, but every word coming out from Louis’s mouth mattered so much to him, and the feelings he had when Louis praised him was indescribable.

  


“Oh, I almost forgot.” Louis stopped abruptly. Harry looked at him in confusion. “What?”

  


“I have try-out for the football team after school tomorrow. Niall and Liam are also joining, so do you want to watch? Z will be there too, but he’s a twat, so he’s just watching.”

  


Harry laughed. “Of course I want to watch you play! Won’t miss it for the world.” He winked, and Louis just bumped his fist in the air, laughing. “Great! Now let’s go see the lads. I’m starving.”

  


On their way to the cafeteria, they bumped into Josh who was walking out from the school building, fuming. Harry immediately hid behind Louis, and before Louis could comprehend anything, Josh shouted.

  


“You think this is over?” He spat to the ground, glaring coldly towards Harry. “Watch your back, Styles. And you, Tomlinson. I won’t forget this, fuckers.” He turned his heels, harshly shoving the door and walked towards the fancy car waiting outside. Louis felt Harry trembling behind him, so he reached over and squeezed his hand.

  


“He’s gone, Haz. You’re safe now.”

  


“How do you know that? He clearly said this isn’t over.” Harry had tears in his eyes. “W-what if I-I j-just d-did s-something b-bad, Lou? W-what if h-he c-comes b-back a-and-”

  


Louis put a palm over his mouth. “No, Haz. I won’t let him be anywhere near you. Neither will the lads. Trust me, okay?”

  


Harry stared at the clear, beautiful cerulean eyes that held so much confidence that he could do nothing but nod slowly. Those eyes brought chaos into his life, but in the most pleasurable way possible. Louis smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling adorably.

  


“Good. I’m really starving, so let’s go. They must be worried.”

  


He put his arm around Harry, dragging him to the cafeteria and sat down with the lads. He stole some fries from Niall’s tray, shoving them into his mouth shamelessly.

  


Niall scowled. “Get your own food, Tommo.”

  


Louis ignored him, taking another piece. “Food always tastes better when it’s someone else’s, _Neil_.”

  


Niall rolled his eyes, quickly shielding his tray from Louis’ prying hands. He then glanced towards Harry who was looking at Louis like he hung the moon and the stars in the sky. “Heard that the prick was expelled, H.”

  


Harry turned to Niall. “Yeah.”

  


Liam grinned. “That’s great though. One less twat for the school to handle.” Harry shrugged, his face showed discomfort. Zayn noticed. “But why aren’t you happy?”

  


Louis scoffed. “That fucker told Harry that he’s not done with him.” He reached over for Liam’s food, too quick for Liam to swat his hand away. “Stupid jerk.”

  


Zayn groaned. “He’s _mental_ , I’m telling you.” He looked over to Harry, smiling. “Don’t worry, H. We’re here, and you’re our dear friend, so we’ll be there for you.” He smirked, leaning against Liam. “Plus, we know better than to mess with Louis’ _friend_.”

  


Harry didn’t understand the insinuation, but Louis choked on his food, swiftly kicking him on the shin, face turning deep red. They laughed, and even though Harry didn’t get the joke, he felt the corners of his mouth quirking up into a smile, warmth spreading all over his body. At this point, he’s starting to believe that he had found lifelong friends within them, and he wanted to cherish this forever.

  


That night, they spent the night at Harry’s house. They were lounging about in Harry’s room, making themselves too much at home as they sneakily checked Harry’s drawers, admiring the products Harry used for his skin, making comments about Harry’s clothes (“You wear this, Harry? Why haven’t I seen you in these?” in which Harry just shrugged. “Not the occasion.”). At one point, the boys went down to grab some drinks and snacks, and Louis found something unexpected at the back of one of Harry’s drawers.

  


“What’s this, Haz?”

  


Harry whipped his head around, face contorting in horror as he registered the small pouch in Louis’ hand. He tried to grab it away but Louis was quicker. He opened the pouch, and took out the small bottles.

  


“Nail polish?”

  


Harry was full-on blushing, eyes planted on the floor. He didn’t want to look up and see the disgusted look on Louis’ face, so he kept quiet, nervously playing with the hem of his shirt.

  


“Haz, look at me.”

  


He clenched his eyes tight before slowly bringing his head up and opened his eyes. Instead of a disgusted Louis, he was met with a smiling Louis. A smile that held no mischief or sneer, but _fondness_.

  


“These are pretty colours. Can if I put them on you?”

  


Harry’s eyes almost popped out from their sockets. _Is he serious?_

  


“A-Are you s-serious?”

  


“Yeah! And I have plenty of little sisters at home, so I’m pretty confident with my nail-painting skill.” He grabbed Harry to the bed, motioning for him to sit across from him. “Come on, we’ll do black tonight.”

  


Harry didn’t even try to argue. He hesitantly extended his hand which Louis softly grabbed and started applying the nail polish. He watched in complete adoration as Louis stuck out his tongue in concentration, slowly painting each nail, careful not to smear it on the skin. The boys came back, stopping their conversation halfway and made their way to the bed.

  


“Ohh, looking good there Lou!” Niall exclaimed, visibly excited as he sat down with the snacks, watching as Louis did his magic. Zayn and Liam joined, cooing and laughing when Louis had a bit of it smeared on the skin, thanks to Niall’s meddling. Once he’s done, he proudly admired his work, which was impressively clean.

  


Harry teared up, his voice shaky. “Thanks, Lou. This is amazing.”

  


Louis smiled. “They look pretty on you.”

  


Harry blushed, and the boys snickered. Louis punched Niall playfully, and they got into fighting with pillows and blankets. Harry laughed as Louis and Zayn wrapped Niall up into a blanket roll, and then Liam joined them in throwing Niall-roll onto the bed before launching themselves on top of him. The night was fun, and they fell asleep among the pile of pillows and blankets, content smiles adorning their faces.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry leaned against the lockers, chatting with Zayn as they waited for Louis, Liam and Niall before they went to the field. Out of nowhere, Niall launched himself towards the unsuspecting lads, making them lose their balance and fell onto the hard floor into a pile of tangled limbs.

  


“What the hell, Niall?!”

  


Niall laughed, still pining them on the floor. “That’s what you get for being so engrossed in your conversation and not suspecting anything!”

  


Harry and Zayn struggled to entangle themselves from the pile, until Liam took pity and yanked Niall away with a chuckle. Zayn was grumbling, rubbing the back of his head. Harry, on the other hand, was laughing gleefully as Niall half-heartedly apologised, earning a smack on the head from Zayn.

  


“The next time you do that, Ni, I’ll put glue in your shoes.” He then glared at Louis who was bent over, holding his stomach. “And you, Lou, you’re hopeless.” He then dramatically walked over to Liam, smiling sweetly. “Always my saviour.” He pressed a loving kiss to Liam’s cheek, making Niall gag.

  


“Disgusting lovers.” He said, scrunching his nose. “Now let’s go! Don’t want to be late!”

  


They walked to the field, Louis, Niall and Liam going straight to the changing room to put their bags, while Zayn and Harry went to take their seats. There were some other students too, probably friends of the other candidates.

  


“Why didn’t you join them, Z?”

  


Zayn chuckled. “Not my thing. I’m the abstract kind of guy, you know? Not these actions.” Harry grinned. “What about you though? Thought I saw some footwork during PE.”

  


Harry stared at the open field where the players were taking their positions. “I used to play, before…” He trailed off, sighing. “Haven’t played for a while, got rusty, I guess.”

  


Zayn nodded, not fully believing but not wanting to push further either. “You don’t want to try again?”

  


He shrugged. “Maybe one day.”

  


They fell into a comfortable silence then, focusing on the game as they heard the whistle. It’s a tough game, the seniors upping their skills and strategies, making it harder for the new candidates to keep up. But Louis was a natural; he glided across the field as if he was flying, skilfully dribbling the ball and passed it just before a tackle, avoiding it with ease. Focus etched all over his face as he ran around, yelling for the ball and with swift movements, scored the goal. Liam and Niall were great, too. The way they tackled and dribbled the ball was that of trained players. But Louis was a menace on the field, and Harry felt the passion emanating from Louis as he tackled, dribbled, passed and scored yet another goal. Harry felt like his throat was going to hurt from shouting so much, but he didn’t care. They were excellent on the field, and he’s certain that they would be recruited into the team.

  


The game ended with the rookie team lost 4-3 to the senior team. Instead of bragging, the seniors congratulated them for the great game and wished them luck. The coach praised each of them and told them they would need some time to discuss as there were quite some fierce competitors to choose, and the result would be announced a few days later. Once dismissed, Harry and Zayn instantly went to their friends, bringing them into a small huddle, not caring about the sweat.

  


“You guys were amazing!” Harry’s eyes glinted with pride. “With that skill, they’ll be crazy not to take you in.”

  


Liam laughed. “Well, there were great candidates too, but we did our best, so fingers crossed we make it to the team.”

  


“But we really should go and take a shower. I feel disgusting.” Niall made a disgusted face. Zayn smirked. “Yeah, you stink.”

  


Louis scoffed. “Shut up, Z.” He turned to Harry, smiling. “We’ll see you later, yeah?”

  


They nodded, walking with them before Harry excused himself to the toilet. Zayn stayed behind, opted to wait outside the locker room. He walked out of the toilet, almost bumping into someone.

  


“Oh my God, I’m sorry!” He frantically apologised, but the scoff he received in return made his blood ran cold. He looked at the bulky guy in front of him, clearly a senior who eyed him up and down with disgust.

  


“ _Styles._ ” Harry froze. _Who is this?_ “Happy now that Josh was expelled?”

  


He gulped, dread filling his senses. He struggled to find the words, but the older boy wasn’t finished. “What did Josh see in you? You’re _nothing special_.” He stepped closer. “You’re just a _scared_ boy, a coward that is incapable of protecting himself, opting to let his friends do the dirty work instead.” He smirked, looking down onto Harry. “All you have is a pretty face, but you’re _useless_.”

  


_Useless._

  


_******* _

_“I told you not to touch my things, didn’t I?!”_

_Harry pressed his back against the wall, tears streaming down his face. He hugged his knees to his chest, whimpering._

_“I-I d-didn’t m-mean t-to…”_

_The man was enraged. “The fuck did you mean by you didn’t mean to?” He grabbed the shattered, expensive perfume bottle given by his secret lover, but Harry didn’t know that. “How did you even get this?”_

_Harry was shaking vigorously. “I-I’m s-sorry… I-I w-was c-cleaning y-your r-room l-like y-you a-asked m-me t-to… a-and I-I a-accident-tally-”_

_A painful slap met Harry’s arm. “You can’t even do a simple task. You’re useless.” He then left the room, slamming the door shut. Harry flinched at the sound, whimpering as he rubbed his arm. He rolled up his sleeve, wincing when he felt the pain, and cried when it had already formed a big, black bruise._

_Why couldn’t he leave?_

_******* _

  


Harry was trembling, he was staring right at the senior but he couldn’t form any coherent thoughts as the memories took over his mind. The senior then noticed the black nail polish on his fingernails. “ _Nail polish?_ ”

  


Harry immediately hid his hands behind him, hating the way the senior said it. It wasn’t _curious_ and _kind_ like Louis’, but rather, it was _venomous_ , full of spite. And he hated that he forgot to remove it before he went to school.

  


He chuckled darkly. “Not only you’re _useless_ , but _nail polish_? What are you, a girl?” He brought his lips closer to Harry’s ear. “Or perhaps, a _fucking gay_?”

  


Harry’s eyes widened, and he wanted to run, away from him, but his legs won’t move. He was frozen stiff, unable to do anything but accept whatever insult the guy was throwing to him.

  


“No wonder you’re friends with them, because you’re just the same – _fucking faggots_.”

  


“The fuck you think you’re doing?!”

  


It was Zayn’s voice, booming across the empty tunnel. He marched and slotted himself between them, shoving the senior away. He smirked, looking back and forth between Harry and Zayn.

  


“Always needing someone to save you, Styles?”

  


Zayn threw a solid punch to his face, making him fall at the unexpected blow. He grabbed Harry’s arm, spitting at the senior’s face. “ _Friends_ protect each other, fucker.”

  


He yanked Harry and dragged him to the locker room. They arrived just as Louis, Niall and Liam walked out of the door, immediately concerned as they saw the Harry’s pale face and distant look in his eyes, as well as the rage on Zayn’s face.

  


Louis ran to Harry. “What happened?”

  


Harry wasn’t responding. He just looked at him blankly. Louis turned to Zayn. “Z?”

  


“I don’t know. All I saw was a senior, one of Josh’s friends, whispering something to him. He was frozen, trembling and he almost cried. So I went over and lost it when he said H always needed someone to save him. Punched him and dragged H away from there.”

  


Louis’ jaw clenched tight, nails digging inside his palms. Nothing could ever describe how furious he was, but Harry was his priority. He gently grabbed Harry’s hand, carefully looking into his eyes.

  


“Let’s go home, alright?”

  


Harry nodded, blindly following Louis along. The journey home was a quiet one, and as they reached Harry’s house, Louis motioned for the boys to go home, reassuring them they’ll be alright. Louis walked towards the front door, ringing the doorbell. Anne opened it, her smile dropping as he saw Harry’s dishevelled features.

  


“Harry? Honey, what happened?”

  


Harry didn’t answer, but instead, he walked past Louis and Anne, straight to his room. She turned to Louis, Louis sighed. “I don’t know, Anne. He wouldn’t talk to me eith-”

  


Out of the sudden, a loud crash was heard from upstairs, shocking them both. Louis sprinted upstairs, eyes wide in horror when he saw Harry throwing the nail polish onto the floor, the sound of shattering glass echoing inside the room.

  


“Harry! Stop!” Harry paid him no mind. He was screaming, tears flowing freely down his cheeks, eyes red as he continued throwing the rest of his collection of nail polish. “Fucking stop, Harry! You’ll hurt yourself!”

  


Louis used all his strength to yank the remaining bottles away from Harry’s grip, giving them to Anne and told her to leave. When Louis turned to look at Harry again, he was fuming.

  


“What’s wrong with you?! Do you realise you could hurt yourself?!”

  


“Why are you even here, Lou?”

  


Louis was taken aback. He wasn’t expecting that. “What do you mean why I’m here? I’m _worried_ about you, Haz!”

  


“I don’t need you to! Haven’t I burdened you enough?!” Harry shouted, his eyes dark, his mind whirring a thousand miles a minute. He couldn’t think straight. “I’m not a _charity case_ , Lou!”

  


Louis was visibly furious now. _The fuck is he saying?_ “Who the fuck said you’re a charity case? I’m here because I care, for fuck’s sake!”

  


“No one asked you to.” Louis stood there stunned. “I’m fucking _broken and damaged_ beyond repair, Louis. So stop trying to fix me!”

  


“I’m not trying to fix you or whatever! I told you I’m here because I care!” Louis’ eyes were teary. “Please, Haz… Talk to me… Let me help you.”

  


Harry scoffed. “ _Help?_ What can you do to help someone like _me_ , Lou? You won’t even understand the bullying I went through in school, and especially the torment I had to endure at the place I once called _home_. So no, you can’t help me.” Harry leaned against the side of his bed, chuckling darkly. “Just go home, Louis. Quit pretending like you understand, because you _don’t_.”

  


Louis felt like his heart was stabbed, pierced by the sharpest knife and it was _excruciatingly painful_. His bottom lip was quivering, and he trembled as he tried to contain the sadness and anger inside. He stared at Harry who had his face buried into his knees. He turned on his heels, out of the room, and came back with a glass of cold water. He poured the water onto Harry.

  


Harry abruptly avoided the water, looking up at Louis with fury. “What’s that for?” For the first time since they arrived home, he finally looked at Louis with clear eyes, and his heart broke at the pained look on Louis’ face.

  


“You know why I was drawn to you?” Louis started, eyes full with unshed tears as he stared intensely into Harry’s eyes. “Because I saw bits of myself in you. I looked into your eyes, and I saw the same broken boy I was years ago.” A single tear fell. “I wanted to be the person to hold every broken piece that makes you who you are, I wanted to be the person that you can count on anytime, I wanted to pick up every single shard of your heart and put it back together until it’s whole again.” His tears were freely falling, but Louis didn’t care. “I wanted to learn every single thing about you, and I wasn’t kidding when I told you I will be there for you. I wanted to be there like how Li, Z, and Ni were when I was too broken to even think of living another day.” He wiped his tears, voice broken.

  


“I was bullied and assaulted in school, and my dad was abusive.”

  


Harry was shocked. “Lou-”

  


“I endured those times, to protect my sisters and mum. The bullies, assaults and abuse? All because I was _different_.” He chuckled, looking away. “I was doing good, until my mum passed away two years ago. I hit rock bottom, and I nearly killed myself if not for my siblings, Li, Ni, and Z.”

  


Harry stood up, reaching out to hold Louis, but Louis stepped back, shaking his head. He looked at Harry, eyes full of pain, and Harry felt his heart clenched tightly, guilt overpowering him.

  


“It hurt, Harry. It hurt so much. And when you said I don’t understand you, it’s as if you _stabbed_ me with a knife, slashing my heart open.”

  


“Lou-”

  


“So before you said I understand nothing, maybe you should be the one to try and understand that some people did go through the same _hell_ like you did.”

  


Louis used his sleeves to wipe the remaining tears on his cheeks, albeit unsuccessfully as the tears didn’t stop. He grabbed his bag and walked to the door, stopping at the doorway and glanced over his shoulders.

  


“Have a good night, Harry.”

  


Harry dropped to his knees, staring at the floor with guilt, eyes blurry with tears. Anne came in, her heart broke at the sight of Harry. She knelt beside Harry, pulling him into a tight hug. Harry clung onto Anne, sobbing loudly against her chest.

  


“W-what h-have I d-done?”

  


Anne was crying too, albeit silently. She didn’t know what actually happened, but she never saw Louis that _pained_ , and _so broken_ , and it broke her heart too.

  


“I-I h-hurt h-him, Mum, w-when all h-he wanted t-to do was help m-me…”

  


Anne kissed the top of his head. “Honey, listen to me.” She pulled back a little, her heart shattering into pieces when she saw his guilty face, eyes red and puffy. “Louis will come around, but you need to rest. You had a long day, love, and it’s taking its toll on you.” She kissed his forehead. “Rest up for the night, and think about what you need to do in the morning, okay?”

  


Harry nodded, too tired to respond. He helped his mum gathered the shattered glass, took a shower and changed into his pyjamas. He crawled into his bed sluggishly, Anne tucking him in and kissing his forehead.

  


“Sleep, darling. We’ll figure things out tomorrow morning.”

  


After Anne left, he reached for his phone, opening his chat with Louis.

  


**Harry: I’m sorry, Lou. I didn’t know what came to me.**

**Harry: Please forgive me, Lou **

**Harry: Please, can we talk tomorrow?**

  


Harry waited and waited, but the reply never came. Louis didn’t even read the texts. A single tear fell, and Harry reluctantly put his phone on the nightstand, pulling the duvet over his head. He curled to his side, thoughts full with the pained look on Louis’ face. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face, silently wishing he hadn’t fucked up too bad and ruined his chance at happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, that happened...
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments, kudos, bookmarks, and hits! I'll always start my notes with a thank you, so yeah, please get used to it ;)
> 
> As for this one, it's kind of like a remedy for the heartbreak I caused in the previous chapter (I'm sorry!), so I hope it soothes you :)
> 
> Hope you guys stay safe!
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy xx

# Storm and Rainbow

### 

  


Harry was _devastated_. He couldn’t get a wink of sleep last night, constantly haunted by the images of the hurt on Louis’ face, among all the other nightmares he had. He didn’t even realise that he was crying when he woke up, whimpering softly as the events from the past week replayed like a whirlwind in his mind.

  


Maybe it was because of the ceaseless taunting he got from Josh, to the sexual assault, the overwhelming amount of attention he got after the incident, the threat, and the _degrading, homophobic_ insult thrown at him right to his face by a stranger that made him lost all rationality and lashed out. The stress that had been building up, in addition to his traumatic past, threw all caution out the window the moment the words hit him hard.

  


_Useless. Nothing special. Scared. Coward. Fucking faggot._

  


He knew that no matter where he went, there would always be people who looked at _people like him_ with disgust, acting as if they didn’t deserve to share this world with them, but that didn't mean it hurt less. He was bullied incessantly because of his preference to feminine stuff like nail polish, flowers, and their clothing. He used to hang out with girls, along with his sister Gemma, eyes sparkling with adoration as Gemma and Anne dressed him up in dresses. He remembered that he often came home crying, with Gemma on tow looking furious, sobbing pathetically in Anne’s embrace while recounting everything that happened in school. Anne would always comfort him, but his dad would scoff and laugh at him.

  


“And you’re crying because of _that_?” He sneered, eyes looking down to Harry with absolute loath. “You’re _pathetic_.”

  


And he cried harder, running to his room as shouts and screams resonated the living room. He clasped his little hands over his ears, willing the yell to subside. He didn’t come down to eat, prompting Gemma to softly knock on the door, bringing him food and trying to cheer him up. Gemma was 4 years his senior, but she always waited for him, always ready to fight whoever made him cry.

  


After one particular incident where he was shoved roughly to the floor by the boys in his class just because he was wearing a flower crown he made with his friend, he stopped showing interest in beautiful, girly things. He put away all the blouses, dresses, flower crowns and nail polish, started wearing monochrome clothes with a little bit of colour here and there, and played football. It worked, and boys gradually stopped bullying him. He _faked_ all the smiles, of course, but he loved football. It became an outlet for him, channelling all his anger and frustration into that single kick, and felt triumphant each time he scored a goal.

  


Not like everything was well, though. At home, he was still abused in so many ways, silently suffering. His dad threatened to hurt his mum and sister if word got out, so he couldn’t do anything but _take_. Whenever he came home drunk, he would go into his room and had his ways. Even when he was sober, he would randomly come in, smirking devilishly as he gagged and blindfolded him, groaning as he thrusted into him incessantly. _Good boy_ , as he would always say after their _‘sessions’_. He was left with bruises all over his body and excruciating pain in his bum that had him limping. His mum noticed, but he lied, saying he fell off the bed from moving too much in his sleep. Gemma never believed, but he never cared.

  


As time passed by, he became more closed-off, spending most of his time holed up in his room, only going out to eat and go to school. He was getting more serious into football, often coming home late due to practices, and when he made it into the team, he thought his life was finally getting better. He had supportive teammates, his mum and sister were happy, girls swooned over him, but while he was supposed to be having feelings for girls, he couldn’t help but notice how he felt _absolutely nothing_ for them. He saw them just as friends, finding _boys_ attractive instead. And that’s how his life took an abrupt turn, everything going downhill in a split second.

  


Harry shivered at the memory, shaking his head aggressively to dismiss the images that had started to resurface, eyes stinging with tears. He forced himself to sit, staring blankly at the rays of sunshine that filtered through the curtain, casting a golden glow in his room. It was a new day, a fresh start, but all he could think about was the yelling from last night. The remnants of their argument still residing in his mind, clear as day. He shakily reached over his phone, heart thrumming wildly against his chest as he unlocked it.

  


_No new notifications._

  


His heart sank, fresh tears filling his eyes rapidly, falling without restraint. He clutched his phone tight to his chest, whimpering softly.

  


“Lou… I’m sorry…”

  


The words got lost into the silent room between sobs, somehow wishing that the words could magically reach Louis. He was so distraught, too preoccupied with his feelings to notice the dip on the mattress and a pair of comforting arms wrapped around him, rocking him back and forth gently.

  


“It’ll be okay, honey. I promise.”

  


Harry wanted to believe, he really did, but there was this nagging feeling inside mocking him, laughing at him for successfully pushing away the support that latched itself towards him out of nowhere. He was beginning to succumb into the endless pit of darkness within when his mum kissed his temple tenderly.

  


“Take a shower, and then get dressed, honey. You need some distractions.” She whispered softly, trying to get her son to respond. “Let’s do some baking, yeah? It’s Saturday, and I need some extra help at the bakery during weekends. You love baking, don’t you?”

  


Harry stared long and hard as Anne moved around and pushed the curtains aside, squinting when his face was hit directly with the proud gleam of sunshine. Anne’s smiling face came to view, blocking the sun, casting a golden halo around her head. _She looked angelic_ , Harry thought. Anne reached up and brushed over the curls on his forehead.

  


“Come on, darling. Don’t you want to help your mum?” She pouted cutely, grinning when Harry let out a small chuckle. She caressed his cheek. “That’s the smile I miss. Now get up before I drag you to the bathroom myself.”

  


Harry squeaked, scurrying off to the bathroom and quickly locking the door. Anne giggled, standing up and made the bed. After pulling the duvet up, she looked at the bathroom door, listening to the sound of shower. She still had no idea what happened, but she wasn’t going to force Harry even though she was dying to know the truth. She sighed, walking out from the room, hoping that Harry and Louis would be okay soon.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


They headed to the bakery after breakfast 30 minutes’ prior, cleaning and arranging the chairs, tables, coffee and tea machines, and other equipment. When the other employees showed up, Harry helped them to knead the dough, whisk and stir the batter, bake the pastries and cakes, and put them on display. He temporarily forgot about the dispute he had with Louis, focusing all his attention to his work. The sweet smell of bread and pastries, the joy of decorating the cakes with icing and frosting, and the ‘ding’ sound of the oven brought a smile to his face. He was so engrossed in his work that he started singing while he expertly bake, smiling at his co-workers and customers as the hours went by.

  


He was cleaning the tables when the bell chimed, signalling the arrival of customers and his ears were hit by a chorus of giggles and stomping of little, excited feet.

  


“Oh, it’s so pretty!”

  


A set of brunette twins ran towards the glass display, eyes twinkling with excitement. They looked around, grinning. “Look at these, Lottie! So cute and smells great!”

  


A blonde, presumably Lottie, walked towards the twins, with another brunette in tow, scanning the pastries and cakes curiously. Harry saw the exact same blue eyes of the young girls, reminding them of _Louis_. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked closely.

  


The blonde grinned. “Yeah, they look good! And this bakery is really cosy too.” She looked around in awe, admiring the pastel colours painting the walls, cute pastries decorations pasted and hung all over them, the bell chimes in the shape of miniature bread, coffee and tea cups. An older man with two young toddlers in each of his hand looked over to menu, and then to the children. He chuckled as the toddlers joined their sisters, pressing their noses to the glass.

  


Margaret, Anne’s friend came to the counter, smiling brightly as she observed the children talking animatedly, pointing to each and every pastry on display.

  


“Welcome to Little Things! How can I help you?”

  


Six heads looked up simultaneously, all toothy grin (except the man, he’s just smiling).

  


“Hello! Well, I’m just waiting for the kids to choose, but they could take a while.” He scratched the back of his neck, smiling fondly at the army of children fussing over the food.

  


Margaret chuckled. “That’s okay! We rarely got little children as customers here, and they’re so cute!”

  


“Thank you! You’re pretty cute too!” One of the twins exclaimed, grinning widely. Harry giggled at the interaction but still finding the grin eerily similar to Louis.

  


“Why, thank you, little one.” Margaret leaned over the counter, poking the girl’s cheek. “Now, do you fancy anything? Better not keep your dad waiting lovelies!”

  


They quickly chose their preferred pastries, and as the older man took out his wallet to pay, the older brunette gasped. “Wait! We forgot Lou!”

  


The girls, including the little ones, dramatically put their palms over their mouths. “Oh no! Quick, choose anything!”

  


Harry stood there frozen, hand in mid-air holding the rag upon hearing _Lou_. The man paid for the food, took the boxes and paper bag and grabbed the toddlers’ tiny hands. As they walked to the door, Harry stared at the giggling girls. The more he looked at them, the more they _resembled_ Louis. Lottie and the older brunette noticed Harry staring, and they waved at him, smiling kindly. He managed a small smile and a wave, too overwhelmed with the fact that those were the same blue eyes that pierced through his heart from day one. He didn’t even notice that he was holding his breath until the family had safely gone out, driving off in a black minivan.

  


“Harry? Why are you just standing there?”

  


Harry turned to his mum, concerned etched on her face. He gulped.

  


“The girls… They looked exactly like _Louis_.”

  


Anne’s face changed into an understanding look, nodding. “They mentioned Lou too.” She rubbed Harry’s back, as Harry had started to get emotional. She took him to the break room, gently pushing him to sit.

  


“Honey, look at me.” Harry obeyed, tears pooling in his eyes. “I know you miss him, and you feel guilty. But maybe this is what you need – time and space. I don’t know the full details of your argument last night, but I heard something about being bullied and abused?” Harry’s gaze fell, nodding slowly. “And… about his mum.”

  


Harry tried to contain his tears, but failed as a single tear escaped. Anne sighed, caressing the curls. “What both of you lacked was _communication_ , darling. You didn’t know he had problems in the past, and he didn’t realise how overwhelmed you were.” She hugged him then, cradling the back of his head as he wrapped both his arms around her waist. “Take the weekend to recover, darling. I think he needs it too, and I have hopes that by next week, everything will be okay between you.” She let Harry cry in her chest, pressing soft kisses to his temple and the top of his head. She insisted that Harry stayed in the break room, in which he tiredly accepted, falling asleep right after he put his head on his folded arms.

  


The weekend passed by in a blur, with Harry working and never stopping to think about Louis. He waited patiently for Louis’ reply, and finally, on Sunday night, he received a text from Louis just before he locked his phone. He was so startled by the notification sound that he accidentally lost his grip around the phone, dropping it onto his face with a loud _smack_. He cursed, rubbing his nose before his eyes widened at the text, heart thrumming loudly against his chest.

  


**Louis ☼: I’m ready to talk, but after tomorrow.**

**Harry: Why…?**

**Louis ☼: You’ll see. Good night, Hazza.**

  


He found himself smiling at the use of the nickname, feeling the blush creeping onto his face. He giggled giddily, tossing left and right like a teen girl whose crush asked her out. Sure, the text was monotonous, but at least Louis replied! And they would be talking again! He was a bit scared, but he wanted to make this right, and he would wait if that’s what Louis needed.

  


_Whatever it was, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow._

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Harry!”

  


Before Harry could turn his head around, there was a body putting all its weight on his back, nearly knocking him forwards but he regained his footing, laughing as he recognised the thick Irish accent talking right over his ear.

  


“I miss you mate!”

  


He detached himself from Harry, swinging an arm around his shoulders instead. Harry did the same, grinning.

  


“Come on, Ni, stop being so dramatic.” Niall rolled his eyes fondly. “But yeah, I miss you too.” He nudged Niall’s temple with his head, and then he saw a mop of feathery caramel hair walking towards them behind Liam and Zayn.

  


“Hey H. Had a good weekend?” Zayn greeted Harry with enthusiasm, ruffling his curls, making a mess of the already messy, springy curls. He retorted by touching the perfectly styled hair, tousling it a bit and smirked when the raven-haired boy ducked with a scowl.

  


“It was okay, how about you? Had a _great_ one?” He insinuated, subtly glancing over to Liam who caught the hint and shrugged. Zayn smirked, putting his arm around Liam’s shoulder and pulled him close.

  


“Oh, my weekend was _amazing_.” He turned towards Liam then, lips brushing his ear. “We had a _wonderful_ time, didn’t we, Li?”

  


Liam blushed but he was grinning, whipping his head to face Zayn and kissed him full on the lips, taking Zayn by surprise but kissed him back nevertheless. He pulled away, leaving Zayn flushed and breathless. He turned to Harry and Niall, smiling smugly.

  


“That we _did_.”

  


Harry’s eyes were wide, his jaw dropping since he never expected that, but Niall just laughed.

  


“You don’t play around with them, H. Or you’ll be played yourself.”

  


Louis chuckled then, not responding verbally but smacked Liam and Zayn at the back of their heads. The two lovebirds winced in pain, quickly turning to him but he was faster, already running while laughing gleefully. He nearly knocked some students in his haste, receiving shy nods and blushing girls waving him off as he apologised. Harry saw that, and a small bit of jealousy crept slowly into his heart. He unconsciously glared at the innocent girls, causing Zayn to nudge him.

  


“Control your glare, H. They’ll get scared.”

  


Harry huffed. “’M not glaring.”

  


Zayn laughed, already dragging him to their class. “Sure you weren’t, H. As if your _jealousy_ isn’t showing.”

  


He abruptly stopped, staring at Zayn like he had grown two heads. “Who said anything about jealousy?”

  


Zayn smirked as he walked forwards, glancing over his shoulder. “Yeah? Then why were you glaring when the girl _blushed_ at Lou’s apology?”

  


Harry blushed beet red, rapidly jogged past Zayn, mumbling “’m not jealous”, causing Zayn to cackle loudly. Harry sat down, aggressively putting his bag away, which only amused Zayn even more. He took his seat beside Harry, smiling knowingly.

  


“It’s okay, H. It’s okay to feel jealous when someone else interacted with our _crush_.”

  


Harry looked down to his lap, playing with his own fingers. “It was _that_ obvious?” His voice was small and quiet, sounding hesitant. Zayn smiled, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

  


“It is, H. And I’m pretty sure he feels the same.”

  


Harry sighed. “But we had a fight. He must _hate_ me.”

  


Surprisingly, Zayn didn’t ask about it, but nodded as if he already knew. “I know, he told me about your fight. But if it makes you feel better, he didn’t hate you. He felt guilty as well.”

  


Harry looked at him, eyes wet. “H-he d-does?”

  


Zayn nodded. “Yeah, he did. And he told me that he wanted to talk to you, but not today.”

  


Louis told him the same, and he was getting confused. “Why?”

  


“The coach is going to announce who got into the team after school today, and if our boys make it, which I have faith they will, we’re going to celebrate, and that includes you too, H.” Zayn looked towards Harry, giving him a side hug. “Come with me, yeah? And then we’ll spend the evening together.”

  


Harry gave him a small smile, nodding. “Okay.”

  


After school, Zayn waited for him at the lockers and they went to the field together. Niall, Liam and Louis stood with the other candidates, nervously waiting for the result. Louis shifted one foot to another, biting his fingernails as Liam and Niall tried to reassure him, although they looked nervous too. When the coach and the team captain came, they all stood straighter, looking straight at the two smiling figures.

  


“So,” the coach cleared his throat. “Over the weekend, we had discussed about your skills, the way you play, and most importantly, your passion towards football.” He looked at each candidate carefully. “And we already had the names right here, the ones that will surely be great additions to our team, strengthening and perfecting the loopholes we currently have.”

  


He raised the clipboard. “Please understand that the ones that we had chosen were _immensely talented_ , and the passion was very well reflected in their eyes. And for those who didn’t get in, please know that it isn’t because you’re not talented, but you lacked something and we really had a hard time to achieve an agreement.”

  


The team captain, Lucas Price, took over. “We’re honoured to have so many of you trying for our team, and we saw the amount of effort you put into this. So, without further ado, we’ll announce 7 new recruits for our team.”

  


Harry and Zayn stood nervously a few feet away, silently praying that their boys would be selected.

  


“The 7 new additions to our team are Keith Long, Michael Jones, Peter Davies, Oliver Green, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, _and_ Louis Tomlinson.”

  


The moment their names were announced, Harry and Zayn cheered loudly while the 7 boys patted each other and sighing in relief, finally catching up to their held breaths, excitement written all over their faces. The others who weren’t selected were visibly disappointed, but they congratulated them anyways.

  


The coach and Lucas grinned. “Welcome aboard, lads. We can’t wait to have you in practice, and we’re sure each of you will make us and our school proud.” They turned towards the ones who didn’t get selected. “We’re very sorry, but we were delighted to have you during the try-out. I hope you won’t let this crush your hopes, and we wish you the best.”

  


They nodded, leaving the coach and Lucas with the new recruits. Harry and Zayn waited as they talked, and when they were dismissed, they found the three of them running towards them and they met them halfway, engulfing everyone in a group hug.

  


“We’re so fucking _proud_ of you lads! Congratulations!”

  


Harry laughed, thrilled with the news. “Yeah! We _knew_ you guys would get in! Congrats, lads!”

  


Niall released himself from the hug, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “And this calls for a celebration! Come on lads, let’s go to my house and order pizza and play video games!”

  


They all laughed and rushed behind Niall who was practically jumping while running, and they all were out of breath the moment they arrived at Niall’s doorstep. Niall’s mum greeted them warmly, excited when her son made it into the team and allowed them to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the evening. They ordered pizza and played video games as planned, putting bets like the loser needed to go out and scream “I wet my pants!” to the pedestrians, find a random person and tell him/her their most embarrassing secret, and even something like shouting whatever they wanted outside (but preferably who they loved), no matter who heard them.

  


Harry lost the first round, and he chose to shout _“I love to be naked!”_ instead of declaring his crush towards a certain blue-eyed boy and quickly ran inside when he realised there were, in fact, some pedestrians walking by, but luckily they were some middle-aged couples who just looked at him weirdly and waved him off. Zayn lost the second round, and with a loud groan, he searched for a random person and told her his most embarrassing secret (he once squealed like a girl – the high-pitched scream – when one of his sisters surprised him with the Annabelle doll in a pitch black house, lighting a torch under the doll’s chin). And during the last round, Niall lost, but he nonchalantly went outside, screaming _“I wet my pants!”_ to the top of his lungs, surprising the poor elderly woman who was walking her dog. They had a great time, and by the time 9pm rolled around, they were already tired and yawning.

  


“Well, I guess we should call it a night.” Liam announced, yawning while doing so. The other lads nodded, standing up and grabbing their bags. “Thanks for playing host, Niall. And thank you for having us, Mrs Horan.”

  


Niall’s mum hugged them one by one. “The pleasure’s all mine, darlings. Please come and visit again.”

  


Zayn winked. “You know we will.”

  


She laughed, sending them all with a wave and warm smile. Liam turned to Harry. “Are you okay going back by yourself, Harry?”

  


Harry fiddled with the hem of his shirt, biting his bottom lip. “Um… I’ll manage.”

  


“I’ll take him home, don’t worry.” Louis interjected. “You guys go on ahead; I’ll keep him safe.”

  


Zayn smiled. “Okay then. Come on Li, I’m sure H’s safe with Lou.” He interlaced his fingers with Liam. “Be careful and good night lads.”

  


Harry and Louis waved as Zayn and Liam walked the opposite direction, leaving both of them in an awkward silence. Harry kept fidgeting, rolling his sleeves into balls as Louis stared right ahead.

  


“Y-you… um… you don’t have to send me home. I’m-”

  


“No, Harry. It’s late, and it’s not safe for you to be walking alone.” He finally turned his gaze towards Harry, and it was the first time Louis actually looked his way today. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

  


Louis walked on ahead, while Harry followed closely behind. The silence was deafening, and he wanted nothing but to talk with Louis, no matter the topic. Usually, the silence between them was comfortable, but this time, it was too unbearable for Harry. He glanced towards Louis, finding the boy looking upwards. He wished he could read minds, so he knew the thoughts swirling around Louis’ mind. He hated that Louis always could read him like an open book, but he was unable to do the same. The navy blue eyes held so many secrets, always glazed over with layers of walls, and he wished to bring them down, no matter how long it would take.

  


“We’re here.”

  


Harry glanced to the side. Indeed, they had arrived to his house. He felt tears pooling inside his eyes, but he shook his head and closed his eyes, willing the tears to subside before he looked at Louis, giving him a weak smile.

  


“Thank you, Lou.”

  


They stared at each other for a while, _blue meeting green_ , conversing silently. The green held so many emotions, so many painful memories, looking vulnerable and _hurt_ , pleading the blue eyes to _let him in_. The blue stared right back at it, pleading the green to understand his guilt, his pain, and his terrible past. Blue eyes penetrated green’s, showing its most defenceless state; _I’ll let you in if you let me_.

  


Finally, Louis broke the silence.

  


“I promise, whatever happens, _I will never leave you._ ” He stepped closer to Harry’s space, taking his hands in his. “I’m really sorry for last Friday, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He rubbed his knuckles gently. “We’ll talk tomorrow, alright?”

  


Harry didn’t realise that the tears had escaped his eyes until Louis reached over and wiped them with his thumbs. He smiled, and that broke Harry even more. _He missed that smile so much_.

  


“Go inside, Hazza. Get some sleep.” He stepped away, releasing his hold on Harry’s hands, and he instantly missed the touch. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Haz.”

  


Harry nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lou.” He wiped his tears, rewarding Louis his most genuine smile. “Have a good night, Lou.”

  


Louis waved at him as he walked towards the door, taking one last glance when he was inside, heart warmed at the sight of Louis still standing on the driveway, waiting for him to safely get inside. He waved, giggling when Louis blew him a kiss and trudged away. He watched until Louis’ figure blended in with the darkness, and he closed the door with a smile, leaning against it with a stupid smile.

  


“Did you have a great time, honey?”

  


Harry looked over to his mum, that idiotic smile making its permanent stay on his lips.

  


“I had the _best_ time of my life, Mum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did it work in warming up your delicate hearts?
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis opened up about his past...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for the uplifting comments, kudos, bookmarks and hits! You guys are my real motivation for me to continue this series, so all hail you readers!
> 
> It took me a while since I was preoccupied with my nieces and nephews, but here it is! Part 1 of the talk. Some warnings here, so please proceed with caution:  
> 1) Past bullying  
> 2) Past physical abuse  
> 3) Insulting and degrading words  
> 4) Minor character death
> 
> Brace yourselves, it's a bit of a bumpy ride here.
> 
> Stay safe everyone!

# Two Intertwined Souls

### 

  


Harry slept with the brightest smile last night, not even the flashback dared to invade his dreams. Louis had a huge impact in his life; the image of Louis blowing him a kiss overpowered everything else, and if he dreamt of Louis waiting for him down the aisle with a blinding smile in a dazzling white suit, no one needed to know.

  


He hummed all the way to the bathroom, singing wholeheartedly through his shower and routine. He was prancing around in his bedroom, swinging open the closet and took out his outfit for the day – a long sleeve lilac button up with little stars scattered around that fitted his figure perfectly, a pair of black jeans ripped on the knees, and a pair of lilac with cute embroidered cats’ socks. He stood in front of the long mirror, styling his hair into a quiff, rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, and sprayed his favourite cologne. He turned and twirled, immensely satisfied with his outfit, grinning widely. He was going to talk with Louis today, and no matter how the talk turned out, he wanted to look _good_.

  


Nodding to his reflection, he grabbed his bag and trotted downstairs. He bumped into his mum in the hallway, smiling.

  


“Good morning, Mum.”

  


Anne raised her eyebrows, amused at her son’s good mood. “Good morning, sweetheart.” She eyed his outfit, whistling. “You look great, Harry. And you’re such in a good mood.” She smirked. “Did something happen last night?”

  


“Oh, just the usual stuff, Mum.” He sang-song, wiggling his eyebrows and gracefully skipped to the kitchen. “With an extra _mark._ ” Anne stared at him confused, but followed him nonetheless, watching as he brewed tea and made granola with fruit.

  


“What kind of extra _mark_ , sweetheart?”

  


Harry smiled, winking. “It’s a secret, Mum.” Anne rolled her eyes as Harry took a seat on the chair, eating happily as he scrolled his phone. His notification alarm beeped, his smile widening as he opened the chat.

  


**Lou ☼: Morning, sunshine. You’re ready for our talk later?**

  


Harry blushed at the nickname, the smile turning into a shy one. His expression changed into that of a confusion as he read the question, wondering what should he be ready for.

  


**Harry: Morning, Lou. Um… not sure what I should be ready for but yeah?**

**Lou ☼: Great, because you and I are going to be out all evening.**

**Lou ☼: But don’t worry, sunshine. I’ll take you home safe and sound ;)**

  


Harry blushed harder upon reading the text. He didn’t know what Louis had planned, but it sure added to his ever-growing nervousness. But he trusted Louis, and he knew Louis would keep him safe. He smiled.

  


**Harry: Alright. Make sure you keep me safe!**

**Lou ☼: Always :)**

  


“Seems like whoever sent you the text made your heart does somersaults.”

  


Anne smirked knowingly when Harry just shook his head but the blush was still very prominent on his cheeks. She sent him to school, smiling when he skipped all the way to the building.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Louis went to school feeling light, jogged all the way, eager to meet Harry. He had planned to bring Harry to a place that nobody knew, and he hoped Harry would like it. It’s a simple gesture, wanting to make Harry as comfortable as he could. He was aware of the severity of their upcoming talk, and honestly, he wanted Harry to talk first, but if it helped to ease the nerve the curly boy had, he would start first. He needed to apologise anyway.

  


He saw Harry standing by the lockers, organising his books while some people greeted him and he responded with a nervous smile and hesitant nod. He giggled, knowing how Harry was still very much uncomfortable with the attention after the whole Josh situation, but he thought Harry was doing okay. He didn’t flinch or stammer that much anymore, and for Louis, it was progress.

  


Harry still hadn’t noticed him, so he smirked and tip-toed until he reached behind him. He stifled a laugh when he saw that Harry was still engrossed in arranging stuff, so he slowly brought his lips to his left ear.

  


“Ha!”

  


Louis cackled when Harry jumped, his shoulder knocking the locker door and he almost fell before Louis caught him by the forearm. The look on his face was of pure shock and annoyance, making Louis laugh harder.

  


“Louis! You scared me to death!”

  


Louis giggled, balancing Harry on his feet and gently rub his right shoulder. “Sorry, Haz, but you were so into your locker that I couldn’t help but surprise you.”

  


Harry rolled his eyes, a little bit annoyed but mostly amused. He had missed hearing Louis’ laughs and giggles directed towards him, and he wouldn’t want to admit it to Louis, but days spent without Louis’ cute giggles were easily the _worst days in his life._ Hell, he felt empty without hearing Louis' voice towards him.

  


“You’re lucky I’m veggie-craze, so I’m healthy without heart issues or else you’d be blamed for my death.” He tried to sound irritated, but judging from the smile on Louis’ face, he knew he failed. _Yeah, he would never be able to resist that smile._

  


Louis scoffed. “Sure, _veggie-eater_. Just so you know, I’m healthy too, and I despise _green_ stuff.” He paused, smirking while staring into Harry eyes. “Except your beautiful eyes.”

  


Harry’s jaw dropped open, blushing furiously as Louis laughed, and just then, Niall, Zayn and Liam appeared, looking confused.

  


“What happened here?” Zayn asked, eyes darting from a blushing Harry to a laughing Louis. “Why does Harry look like he’s fresh out of a making out scene and Lou looks like he’s on the verge of dying from laughing too much?”

  


That just spurred Louis more, bending over his stomach.

  


“It’s- nothing- Harry- not- making out-” his words were jumbled up, since he was talking while laughing. “We were talking about veggies.” He wiped the tear that was pooling at the corner of his eyes, looking at Harry. “And _green_ stuff.”

  


Harry ducked his head, biting his bottom lip as he smiled. Louis smirked, rubbing the back of his head when Liam and Niall both lightly hit him. Zayn understood the insinuation, and he smirked. _Such a flirt._

  


After school, Harry went home since Louis told him that he would go and fetch him later. So, Harry was pacing around in his room, phone in hand, anxiously waiting for Louis. He didn’t change, because he felt good in that outfit. After some time, he got bored and plopped down on the bed, star-fishing in the middle, staring right at the ceiling. He watched the moving fan, the weather too chilly to switch on the AC. He almost fell asleep when his phone rang, and he abruptly picked up.

  


“Hello?”

  


“Were you _sleeping_?” Louis’ voice sounded breathless. “It wasn’t even an hour, Haz.”

  


Harry rolled his eyes. “I was waiting, and I got bored. Plus, I wasn’t sleeping. I _almost_ fell asleep. There’s a huge difference.”

  


He could almost see Louis rolling his eyes, and he bit his lip, smiling. “Whatever, _Harold_. I’m at the door. Come down.”

  


Before Harry could say anything, Louis hung up. He stared at the phone in disbelief, muttering “little shit” before grabbing his wallet and went down. He had texted Anne that he would be out with Louis, blushing when Anne replied with “Good luck!” as if the talk consisted of him confessing his crush on the blue-eyed boy. He quickly dismissed the thought, focusing on the problem at hand. They needed to talk.

  


He opened the door, revealing a tired-looking Louis but the smile on his face was blinding, the crinkles at the corner of his eyes appearing. He was wearing the same outfit from school – an oversized black hoodie with black jeans and a pair of black Vans. He looked comfy, and Harry wanted to cuddle with him.

  


“Ready?”

  


“Uh… yeah, I guess.”

  


Louis smiled and led the way. They walked in silence, side-by-side, and Harry loved it. He had never had anyone with whom he could have a comfortable silence, always finding it awkward and it made him jittery. But with Louis, everything screamed _safety, warmth, and utmost care_ , even the silence. He looked up to the sky, smiling as he spotted the clouds forming a heart shape. _Ironic._

  


“Careful with your steps, Bambi.”

  


Harry stopped walking, anchored by the warm hand holding his forearm and he looked in front of him. It’s the entrance of the local park in their neighbourhood. He turned his head to Louis who was observing him with a small smile.

  


“What’s this?”

  


“A park.” Harry rolled his eyes while Louis laughed. “Come on, I have a place to show you.” He grabbed Harry’s wrist, lips turning into a gleeful grin and tugged him forwards. He followed along, allowing Louis to drag him wherever he’s going. It’s suspicious, and Harry should be scared if it’s someone else, but it’s Louis. He looked around, the chilly breeze blowing softly, dry leaves falling gracefully onto the ground, leaving piles of yellow and orange leaves all over the ground. He chuckled when young children ran and launched themselves on the piles, creating little angels among the scattered leaves. Their parents laughed and took pictures, some of them even joined their children, and it warmed Harry’s heart.

  


They came into a sudden halt, causing Harry to knock into Louis. “Lou, next time you better-”

  


The moment his eyes landed on the scenery in front of him, his breath was knocked out of his lungs. There, at the end of the park where usually people ignored due to the lush trees on the sides of the pathway, creating a path to the _unknown_ , was a large, beautiful lake. The setting sun shone brightly, ripples of the water causing the reflection to twinkle on the surface, creating little, glittering diamonds. The grass area was full of autumn leaves, and the sound of scrunched leaves as he stepped forward permeated the tranquil space, echoing sweetly around the trees. There were some flower bushes scattered haphazardly all over, circling the vast grass area, creating the illusion of a huge flower bed but with autumn leaves in the middle. He walked forwards slowly, admiring the view with glassy eyes.

  


“How did you find this place?”

  


His words were barely a whisper, voice shaky, full of emotions.

  


Louis looked at him, smiling. “Found it on the day after we fought. I was walking around the park, saw that no one took that path because it looks scary. I got curious so I braced myself, and voila – a _heavenly_ haven.”

  


He too was whispering, didn’t want to interrupt the tranquillity the place offered to them. He chuckled softly when Harry started sniffling. “Save your cries for later, Haz. We haven’t started yet.”

  


“But this… it’s too beautiful not to cry upon.”

  


Louis giggled. “Come on crybaby, let’s sit over there.”

  


He followed behind Louis, eyes still adoring the scenic landscape. Louis sat cross-legged a metre away from the lake, ocean eyes staring right ahead. Harry sat beside him, basking in the warmth of the sun. He never wanted to leave this place, feeling calm like never before.

  


“Beautiful and quiet, innit?”

  


Harry looked over to Louis, a wandering look in his eyes. Harry nodded. “Yeah, this is absolutely breath-taking.” Louis smiled, eyes never leaving the lake.

  


“I came here every chance I got, after our fight.” He cleared his throat. “It’s relaxing, definitely the perfect place to escape when everything becomes _too much_. Helps me to think better and rationally, you know?”

  


Harry just nodded, agreeing. “It definitely is.”

  


“I thought about our argument, and I realised that I wasn’t being fair to you. For that, I am truly sorry.” He turned to stare at Harry. “I shouldn’t have expected you to understand when I never told you anything about me either.”

  


“No, Lou, it should be me-”

  


Louis shook his head, his index finger placed on Harry’s lips, shushing him. “Please, let me finish.”

  


Reluctantly, Harry nodded and Louis flickered his eyes upwards, sighing. “My father left me and my mum when I was born.” Harry gasped. “I only knew his name, and I refrained from asking more because my mum was _devastated_. Nevertheless, she took care of me and worked so hard just to keep things afloat. For 2 years, it was only me and my mum, us against the world, and it was rough.”

  


Harry’s eyes never wavered, looking into Louis’ side profile intently. “And then, she met my step-dad. He was a mechanic foreman, and they got married. A year later, my sister was born, and I was ecstatic.” He smiled fondly at the memory. “We were happy, I was getting obsessed with being an older brother, and two years later, another girl was born. I was 5, so young but excited and confident, helping my mum to take care of the baby, and it was a _disaster._ ” He chuckled, making Harry giggle. “My mum took a break after that, the stress of taking care of the three of us taking its toll on her but she always entertained us. My step-dad, on the other hand, would play with us for a while but retreated early, saying that he was tired. I understood, and I never inquired much else.”

  


“When my second sister was 4, Mum had another childbirth, and this time, it’s a pair of twins.” Louis’ face glowed with happiness as he recalled the moment. “The three of us were over the moon, eagerly pressing our faces onto the glass that separated us and our new sisters, cooing when we saw them all bundled up in blankets in their cots, surrounded with other babies.” Louis smile faltered. “And everything went downhill after that.”

  


Harry gulped, sensing the unforeseen change. “Maybe it was the overwhelming number of girls, or maybe just the stress of the financial aspect that got my parents yelling and arguing more often after we went to bed.” Louis felt a lump in his throat. “One night, I heard them shouting to each other, my step-dad’s rising voice echoing all over the house saying that he wanted a _son._ My mum screamed at him about me but he just snarled right back at her, telling her that _I’m not his son._ ” 

  


Louis laughed, but the tone was sad. “It hurts, even now. I cried and tried to sleep after the shouting ceased, but then the door to my room was opened roughly, and before I could process anything, he came right at me, hitting me relentlessly, slapping hard when I pleaded for mercy, threatening that he would hurt my sisters and mum if I screamed. So I took the blow, whimpers muffled over a piece of cloth shoved inside my mouth.”

  


Harry’s eyes were teary, his vision blurred but able to make out the sad smile on Louis’ lips. His shaky hands reached over to Louis’ clasped ones, squeezing them to show his support. Louis smiled appreciatively.

  


“It became a routine – me getting beaten up every time they had a fight. I went to school with bruises – faded and fresh ones – and the teachers often asked me the origin of the bruises and cuts. I blamed it on football and how I’m clumsy, I often accidentally hurt myself at home. I guess I got better at lying each time, because they accepted my reasons and never once my mum got called to school, which I counted as a victory.” He stared ahead, the glinting ripples reflected into his clear, blue eyes. “It wasn’t any better at school, though. I have always been small, and it made me an easier target. Name-calling, rough shoves, painful jabs and tackles, stealing food and money, you name it, I’ve experienced it all. All happened in elementary school.”

  


Harry couldn’t stop the tears from falling even if he wanted to. He _felt_ for Louis, he really did. Unconsciously, he grasped Louis’ hands a little tighter. Louis flinched a bit, but he didn’t take his hands away.

  


“Abuse and bullying aside, football became my new strength. I met Liam through football, and I hated him at first because he was slightly bigger than me, great at football too. We had a few fights that had Zayn crying as he tried to stop us, and it was huge for him, since Zayn was awfully quiet, never one for confrontations. He was the one you see on the side lines, being bullied incessantly and his panic attacks weren’t helping. So one of us needed to be the stronger one, and I took the role. I never really cared about me being bullied, but I couldn’t bear to see Zayn in pain, considering that we’ve been together since we were little kids. So when he stopped our fight, I was shocked. He was trembling, so I calmed him and made amends with Liam. We became fast friends right after, and we played in the school team, Zayn being our biggest supporter.”

  


Harry smiled a little, wiping the stray tears. He noticed that Zayn was a bit quiet, and that’s how his artistic side stood out. He had always thought that quiet people had beautiful minds and hidden talents, if groomed properly, they’d surely be fantastic in their desired field.

  


“At school, being in the football team had its perks, and it rendered us speechless sometimes with how much attention we got from the students, especially when we won matches after matches.” He shook his head. “Together with Zayn, we became that trio everyone claimed as ‘elite’.” Louis rolled his eyes in annoyance. “And it was annoying. Zayn was overwhelmed with the attention, and still getting bullied because he liked to paint instead of playing football and joining the _‘big guys’._ ” He made a gesture with his hands. “But soon, I realised that the bullying took a weird turn, especially after Liam and Zayn got closer on each passing day, and I was struggling with something myself.”

  


His heart was beating rapidly inside his chest, the look in Louis eyes telling him that whatever that something was, it was the trigger to the more extreme bullying and abuse. He forced himself to speak, clearing his throat.

  


“What was it?”

  


His voice came out as a whisper, afraid that if he spoke any louder, everything would crumble into pieces. Louis stared at him, his expression unreadable, eyes boring into Harry’s like he’s weighing his options, seeking for reassurance before he sighed.

  


“My _sexuality._ ”

  


Harry swallowed thickly, his own memories came flashing like movie rolls before his eyes. His breathing started to pick up, his hands sweaty and his heart palpitated. Louis noticed, quickly grabbing the agitated boy and held him close, cradling his head against his chest.

  


“It’s okay, Haz. I’m here. Listen to my heart. Take deep breaths. In, out, in, out.” Harry closed his eyes, willing himself to focus on Louis’ calming heartbeats while simultaneously taking deep breaths. “That’s it, you’re doing good. I’m right here Haz, you’re okay.” Harry inhaled the sweet scent of the boy, calming his senses and nerves just as quickly as his voice did. Louis continued holding him until Harry pulled back slowly, giving him a weak smile. Louis cupped his cheeks, thumbing his cheekbones in small circles.

  


“We can stop now and continue next time, Haz-”

  


“No.” Harry shook his head. His eyes were determined as he looked at Louis. “Please continue. I’m okay now. I promise.”

  


He searched Harry’s eyes, finding nothing but encouragement, so he took a deep breath before exhaling. “Boys are _supposed_ to fall for girls, aren’t they?” Harry nodded hesitantly. “Well, that wasn’t the case for me. I never really had many female friends, and those I had, I only saw them as friends. Nothing more, nothing less.” He paused, running his hand in his hair. “I found myself wanting whatever Liam and Zayn had, and with a _boy_. So I experimented it with one of my teammates who gave hints about his crush on me. He was attractive, so I thought, _why not?_ A simple kiss turned into a _heated make out session_ in the locker room, ended with us grinding against each other and like inexperienced teenagers we were, we came in our pants.”

  


Harry felt a pang of jealousy in his heart, stinging but he composed himself as Louis continued. “It was exhilarating, and we agreed to keep it a secret. I was still confused and curious, so I experimented it once more with a girl that had been pining over me. We kissed, but it didn’t give me the same rush like when I was kissing that boy. It felt _bland_ , so I broke away, apologised and told her I couldn’t do it. She looked at me furiously and slapped me, calling me an _asshole_ , stomping away. The next morning, rumours circulated about me being a _kissing whore_ , and somehow, people found out about me and that boy. I was mad, so I searched the only person who would’ve known about it, and he just scoffed, saying that I deserved it because I _kissed the girl._ ”

  


Harry opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly interrupted. “Since then, everyone looked at me with disgust, calling me names like _fag, slut, ugly_ and some other insulting names. They started to beat me up on daily basis too, saying that someone like _me_ didn’t deserve to live happily because I’m a _sinner_ , and sinners go to _hell_ no matter what.” He chuckled darkly, wiping the spilled tears away harshly. “Fucking bullies.”

  


He went silent for a while, gathering his thoughts. Harry was a crying mess beside him, so he took him in his arms, nuzzling his nose into the wild curls, inhaling the scent of vanilla. Harry held him tight, offering support even though he was shaking himself.

  


“I asked Liam to train me, and every day after school, we would go to his house, Zayn in tow, and trained in the gym with his dad. Zayn and Liam got awfully closer, and I swear I saw them _kissing_ one day when I went to grab some snacks after one of our training sessions. I was shocked, but I had seen it coming anyway so I just kept quiet.” He shrugged. “I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t let the bullying get to Zayn, but unfortunately, they were seen holding hands one day and he was dragged into the mess too.” He sighed. Harry looked up and saw the fury in his eyes. He shivered. “They used words against Zayn, because they knew words hurt more than physical pain, and it messed up with Zayn’s mind, nearly took his life too.”

  


Harry gasped. He never thought that Zayn was a victim too, considering that Zayn had protected him many times. Fresh tears started welling up in his eyes, feeling so much emotions inside himself as he processed the information.

  


“So me and Liam, despite being beaten up, we fought those bullies. It was chaotic, punches being thrown, legs kicking and blood spluttering until the teachers had to interfere.” He shook his head. “A bunch of 12-year-old boys fighting within the school grounds, what do you expect? Things were bound to get crazy, and it did. Our parents were called, testimonies were made, and my step-dad was furious. My mum was crying, and it broke my heart.” He sniffled, and Harry squeezed his hand. “My mum held me all the time while my step-dad shouted, screaming about how _useless_ I was, a _good-for-nothing_ son that was better off _dead._ ”

  


He looked upwards, closing his eyes to avoid the tears from falling. “I held those words in my heart, and ran upstairs to my room as my parents shouted and screamed, and soon, things escalated quickly.” He swallowed. “One day, I returned from school only to receive a hard punch on my face. My mum and sisters weren’t home, so it was just me and him. He shouted something about me being a _little whore_ and a _fag_ , and I automatically knew he found out about the kissing and making out incidents.”

  


Harry’s eyes were wide, horror painting his face. “No, Lou, don’t tell me-”

  


Louis nodded. “He never used items when he beat me up, but that day, he reached for his belt, repeatedly lashing it all over me while I struggled helplessly on the floor, trying to fight but he was stronger. He yelled at me, calling me names but it wasn’t enough. Before I knew it, he held a bat over his head, swinging at me but halted when my mum screamed and pushed him hard.”

  


Harry trembled, in grief and fury, clenching his fists but Louis grabbed his hands, smiling softly. It amazed Harry to no end, how he could still smile even after everything that happened. He looked down, trying to regulate his heart, before he looked at Louis again.

  


“What happened after?”

  


“She took me to the hospital, and when the doctor explained to her about my old bruises and fresh ones, she broke down into tears.” Louis felt that lump again, swallowing thickly. “She apologised to me, told me how she had _failed_ as a mum, thought that I really just hurt myself from football and fights. It made me hurt, seeing her cry since it was never her fault. If anything, it was _me_ who kept everything a secret.” He paused. “And well, my step-dad too. Enraged, my mum reported him and he got caught when he tried to run away with a bag full of his belongings. She filed a divorce, and being a single mum again, she worked harder than before, now with 5 children. Eventually, her health deteriorated.”

  


“Louis…”

  


“A year and a half later, she met someone, Dan.” He smiled a little. “He was _genuinely_ kind, he cared about my mum and always helped her when she needed someone to look after us. He wasn’t _pretentious_ , and believe me, when you’ve dealt with so many assholes, you developed the ability to distinguish bad and good people.” Harry nodded, though he still hadn’t developed that ability. “He proposed to my mum, and my mum hesitated at first. I tried convincing her that he was different, and after much coaxing and pleading from me and my sisters, including the twins, she finally accepted and they got married.”

  


Louis’s smile was wider, and Harry couldn’t help but smile too. “She looked so happy, the happiest I’ve ever seen her. Not long after, she got pregnant, but she had a feeling that she wouldn’t make it.” His smile faltered. “She made me promise to stay strong and help Dan with the girls and the babies.” Fresh tears pooled in his eyes, tearing Harry up. “She was hospitalised pretty much throughout her pregnancy, and we were all there when they wheeled her into the labour room, only for the doctor to come out and told us that she didn’t make it.”

  


Harry hugged Louis, tears already spilling down his cheeks, falling on Louis’ feathery hair. Louis was sniffling, his body shaking as sobs threatened to escape his lips. He swallowed, wanting to finish the story and so immensely grateful for Harry who held him tight. “I felt like my whole world collapsed right that moment, my heart felt empty, my vision dark. I lost the only person who supported me, who loved me with all her heart, and never treated me differently even after she discovered the reason for my step-dad’s rage. I fell into an endless despair, barely eating anything, didn’t go to school, and cried every single night or just stared out the window, looking like my entire soul had been whisked away, leaving behind an empty shell.”

  


“At one point, I took a razor blade and slashed my wrist, all without thinking.” Harry flinched, breath hitching. “Everything went black after, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital, again.” He took a deep breath, pulling away from Harry and sat up straighter. “The first face I saw was Zayn’s, and he was a sobbing mess, with puffy eyes and red nose, snot coming out of his nose.” He chuckled, remembering Zayn’s ugly face. “He always tried to be there for me all the time, especially after my mum died. He came to my house every day, with Liam, telling me stories, trying to cheer me up, but I wasn’t listening. His words were carried away by the wind, but seeing him so fucking sad beside me switched something inside me, and I realised that just because I lost my mum, doesn’t mean that I lost everything. I still have Zayn, Liam, Dan, and my siblings. Sure, Mum was my everything, but I’m _not_ alone. Since then, I tried to be more present, back to joining my sisters in their shenanigans and taking care of the babies, slowly gaining back my social life, and here I am now, stronger than ever.”

  


Louis’ smile was genuine as he looked at Harry, his eyes shiny with unshed tears but the last remnants of the setting sun reflected beautifully in them, glinting like little stars. Harry tucked himself in Louis’ arms, closing his eyes as he listened to Louis’ calming heartbeat, wrapping his arms tightly around Louis’ waist. He had been through so much, almost took his life albeit unknowingly, but still, he braced himself into this cruel world with his head held high, smiling and laughing, the perfect epitome of the sun.

  


Harry wanted to be brave like Louis, wanted to be able to smile and laugh without having dark thoughts invading his mind, wanted to be free of his haunting past, but he couldn’t do it alone. His panic attacks weren’t helping either, but he wanted to be strong. He would think about that later, but for now, he wanted to be Louis’ _support._

  


“Thank you, for telling me.” His voice broke. “It means a lot to me, and I understand now when you said you _saw_ yourself when you looked at me.” He looked up into Louis’ eyes. “We’re so much alike, but you were so strong, and I’m so proud of you.”

  


Louis beamed, grinning as he caressed his curls. “You’re strong too, Haz. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have met you.” He smiled, brushing his thumb over his cheek. “And I’m _incredibly_ proud of you too.”

  


They both looked at each other with a newfound understanding and a deeper connection between them, hands linking like two ships tied together, lips curving into content smiles. Louis leaned in, kissing the top of Harry’s head, pulling away and chuckled when he saw the faint blush coating Harry’s cheeks. He disentangled himself from Harry and stood up, offering his hand.

  


“Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”

  


Harry grinned as he took his hand, lifting himself up. They walked side by side, talking about everything and anything, eating in a local diner before he walked Harry home, hugging him tight with a soft “thank you” and “see you tomorrow” being whispered into his ear. Harry tightened his grip, inhaling Louis’ natural scent deeply before letting go. He watched Louis disappeared into the dark before he went in, sighing. He went straight to his room, took a bath, brushed his teeth and changed into his pyjamas.

  


His mum came in shortly after as he was getting ready for bed, feeling exhausted after an emotional evening. He smiled as Anne approached him, gently sitting down on the mattress and thumbing his forearm.

  


“How was it, honey? Did you talk it out?”

  


He nodded, feeling the tears threatening to spill. “He told me all about himself, Mum. The bullying, the abuse, and his mum. He even apologised to me first, and when he opened up about his past, it dawned to me that he was just as _broken_ as me.” He closed his eyes, the images of Louis’ grief-stricken face came to mind, and then slowly being replaced with his smiling face, as bright as the sun. He smiled. “He was so _strong,_ Mum, even after losing his mum. And I hope I can be just as strong as him one day, but for now, I want to be his support system because I have a feeling that _we’re just what the other needed._ ”

  


Anne beamed proudly at the determination shown in his eyes, and she gathered him in her arms, cradling his head and rubbing his back up and down. “I feel the same way, honey. My instinct told me that he was exactly the kind of person you need as you weave through life, and I have faith that you’ll get better, with him right beside you all the way, including Zayn, Liam and Niall.”

  


Harry smiled against the crook of his mum’s neck. “He already makes me want to be _better_ , Mum.”

  


Anne smiled, kissing the crown of his head. “He does, honey. He does. And I’m so proud of you both.”

  


Harry fell asleep in Anne’s embrace, so Anne gently laid him on the bed, tucking him in. She caressed his cheek, smiling as she kissed his forehead. She giggled when she saw the smile on Harry’s lips, and slowly stood up, walking towards the door. She took one last glance, putting her hand against her chest, silently thanking the Gods for sending such _sweet, genuine_ people for Harry, especially an angel like Louis. She closed the door, leaving Harry in the state of pure bliss and joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it? Did it break your hearts again? If so, I'm sorry! But I promise, the next chapter will be full of fluff, and something else ;)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I've read all the comments, and really, thank you so much for supporting this story! And thank you for the kudos, bookmarks and hits! They mean a lot xx
> 
> From where I am, it's already December 24th, so it's Louis' birthday! To honour that, I present to you this chapter ;)
> 
> Have a great holidays everyone! And please stay safe!
> 
> Enjoy xx

# Of Birthday and Snow

### 

Days passed by in a bliss, with the five of them closer than ever. Finals were coming up, and they spent their days after school in the library, studying diligently with Louis and Liam tutoring them. Niall always managed to sneak in some snacks, and the table at a somewhat remote corner on the second floor of the library became their permanent spot. Every now and then, Niall would be the one who proposed that they needed to celebrate once the finals were over as a well-deserved break.

  


The week of the finals left them feeling like shit, with dark circles underneath their eyes, and napping in the library between studying. Eventually, after much sweat, tears and cuddling, they finally made it through in one piece. Niall almost cried in relief, rolling himself on the grassy area in the school grounds, cherishing the feeling of freedom, tucking his hands beneath his head as he stared at the sky. The boys copied him, all lying side by side, not caring for the weird looks and the autumn leaves sticking on their clothes. They talked about their plans for the celebration, and fist-bumped when they reached a conclusion.

  


They decided to go rock climbing, opting to stay indoor as it’s getting colder outside, and they didn’t want to freeze themselves to death by doing outdoor activities. Liam was excellent at it, gracefully and skilfully hoisting himself up, balancing his feet and hands expertly.

  


“You have this wall at your house or something, Li?”

  


Liam smirked, breathing steadily as he glanced towards Louis who was shaking a bit, struggling to find his footing on the narrow rocks. He then looked over the whole area; Zayn was stubbornly standing on the floor, refusing to try so he took out his phone, recording the four boys hanging on the colourful painted rocks in which Liam rolled his eyes at. Harry was trembling as he slowly made his way up, his clumsy feet proving it difficult but he managed somehow, and Niall, well, he was laughing as he missed a rock and lost his balance, knocking his face against the wall, groaning in pain, making the four boys laugh.

  


“Looking good up there, babe!” Zayn whisper-shouted, blowing a kiss that had Liam gripped the rocks harder, a new source of determination shining through. He glanced over his shoulder.

  


“Thanks! It’d be even better if you’re up here with me though. Could’ve held you closer.” He winked, chuckling when Zayn rolled his eyes but caught the smile on his lips.

  


“Ugh, you guys are gross.” Louis rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless, Niall silently agreeing, giving the climbing another go. “You alright there, Haz?”

  


Harry looked up from the rocks he had been eyeing so intently, smiling when he found Louis’ cerulean eyes. “Yeah, I’m good. Just need to be extra careful with you know, _two left feet._ ” Louis cackled at that, crinkles showing themselves at the corner of his eyes. “No doubt.”

  


They continued climbing, Liam and Louis shouting insults as they were being quite competitive, but Liam came out victorious, and he had a smug smirk as he gripped the climbing rope and brought himself down dramatically. One of the employee helped him out of his gear, and he looked up, putting his hands on his hips.

  


“Come on, Tommo. You’re so slow.”

  


Louis flipped him off, slowly bringing himself down, and when his feet touched the floor, he quickly smacked Liam on the head, laughing loudly as Liam retaliated. Zayn came over after pocketing his phone, not to offer help, but to join the banter. Harry and Niall, who were still halfway through, giggled at their friends’ antics before Niall looked over to Harry.

  


“What are you planning for Lou’s birthday?”

  


At that, Harry whipped his head towards Niall. “Lou’s birthday? When?”

  


Niall tilted his head in confusion, eyebrows furrowing. “You don’t know?” Harry shook his head. “I thought he told you already, seeing that you both are so close.”

  


If it’s any other moment, Harry would’ve blushed, but there’s a more pressing matter at hand. “It never came up, but Ni, when’s his birthday?”

  


Niall laughed at the urgency in Harry’s tone, and the exasperated look on his face wasn’t helping either. “December 24th. But he never really cared about his birthday.”

  


That confused Harry. “Why?”

  


“Because it’s Christmas Eve, and people often just mixed his birthday and Christmas together, so he stopped thinking his birthday as something worth celebrating.”

  


Harry was appalled. “No way!” His voice came out louder than he intended, and had Niall wincing slightly. Harry looked around, blushing when he saw that people were looking at him strangely.

  


“Everything okay up there Haz? Ni?” Louis asked, pausing from his argument with Liam. When he received a thumbs up from them both, he nodded and continued whatever he was doing. Harry quickly looked at Niall, eyes widening.

  


“We need to do something!”

  


Niall grinned, leaning closer to Harry despite the gap between them. “What do you want to do?”

  


Harry hummed, looking up as he tried to come up with the perfect plan for Louis’ birthday. Niall could almost see the gears working inside Harry’s brain, and he noticed the exact moment the bulb switched brightly when Harry’s face broke into the biggest grin, eyes twinkling.

  


“I know exactly what to do!” Niall opened his mouth to ask but Harry shushed him. “I need everyone’s help for it.” He looked at Niall expectantly. “I’ll tell you later, along with Liam and Zayn.”

  


“How are we supposed to talk when Lou is _right there?_ ”

  


Harry tsked, shaking his head. “Ni, Ni.” He looked at Niall. “Haven’t you heard about _secret rendezvous_?” Niall’s face lit up. “We’ll have a meeting at my house, all without Louis knowing. Deal?”

  


Niall grinned. “Deal.”

  


“What are you guys doing up there? Planning a conspiracy or something?” Zayn knitted his eyebrows together, finding it weird that Harry and Niall weren’t moving, but instead whispering to each other like two teenage girls in a sleepover.

  


“Nothing! We’ll be down in a minute!” They answered simultaneously, quickly hanging off the walls and bringing themselves down. They got out from their protective gears, walking towards the three who were waiting for them.

  


Zayn nudged them. “Spill. The fuck you’re doing up there whispering?”

  


Harry and Niall looked at each other, smiling. “We’re just talking about how much of a _scaredy-cat and boring_ person you are, Z.”

  


Zayn’s jaw dropped open, putting his hand on his chest in faux-hurt expression. “How could you? I’m not boring! I’m just _concerned_ for my wellbeing.”

  


Louis snorted. “Yeah right.”

  


Zayn turned to hit him, but he was already running, prompting Zayn to chase him. They all laughed, other customers and the employees shaking their heads with small smiles, amused at the group’s antics. Louis was fast, and when they arrived at the restaurant, panting and breathless, Zayn had him in a headlock, ruffling his hair with his fist. Louis tickled him, and after much laughing, they finally sat down and ordered. Harry still ordered a bowl of salad, which had Louis scrunching his face in disgust but didn’t comment any further. They joked, filling the restaurant with joyous laughter, and went home feeling content.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


_“Harry.”_

  


Harry groaned when he felt someone’s breath tickling his ear, swatting the source of the voice away and burrowed himself further into the mattress.

  


“Harry, wake up.”

  


He pulled the duvet over his head. “Go away.”

  


The duvet was yanked away harshly from his body, and he shivered from the sudden cold that touched his exposed skin. He hugged himself tighter, groaning loudly but still not opening his eyes.

  


“ _Harry Edward Styles_ , you better wake up now or I’ll pour cold water on you.”

  


At the mention of cold water, he abruptly opened his eyes and sat up, squinting when the soft glow of the morning sunlight filtered itself through the cracks of the curtain. He rubbed his eyes before focusing on the figure standing beside his bed. When his vision cleared, his eyes widened and the corners of his lips quirked up into the biggest grin ever.

  


_“Gemma!”_

  


Gemma grinned, opening her arms wide for Harry to barrel himself into them. She giggled as they toppled onto the floor, hugging her brother tightly.

  


“God I miss you so much!” She pulled away a little, brushing the curls away from his forehead. “Have you grown a bit?”

  


Harry laughed, clinging into her embrace. “I miss you too! And yes, I did grow a bit.” He grinned, a matching expression on his sister’s face. “When did you arrive?”

  


“5 minutes ago. I told Mum not to tell you, and it was worth it.” She winked as Harry pulled her up, quickly hugging her again. God, _he missed her so much._ Ever since Gemma went to college, they only spoke through FaceTime, and he missed having her in person. Gemma rarely came home, with her studying fashion and volunteering for animal shelters.

  


“How was your finals then?”

  


Gemma shrugged. “It was fine. But hey, we’re not talking about that. Now that I’m here, I want to catch up on _you._ ” She grinned, pinching his nose. “Let’s get breakfast first. I’m starving.”

  


They raced downstairs, giggling all the way to the kitchen. Anne just shook her head fondly, chuckling as the two siblings talked about everything and anything, playing footsie under the table, and playfully teasing each other. It was a sight she missed; her two children sitting together, play-fighting and it warmed her heart. Right after cleaning the dishes, Gemma pulled Harry into the living room, sitting beside him on the couch.

  


“So, Harry, Mum told me you’ve found some really great friends, and one of them that you’re particularly _fond_ of.” She smirked as Harry blushed furiously. “Tell me all about them.”

  


“Okay, so, there are four of them – Niall, Liam, Zayn, and Louis.” He couldn’t help the blush creeping up his cheeks, and he pouted when Gemma giggled. “Niall is Irish, and he moved here a couple of years ago. He was the first friend I made, bubbly and radiant, always up for fun times. His eyes are blue, his hair’s blonde, and he loves food.” Harry rolled his eyes while Gemma smiled. “And then there’s Liam, reliable and sensible, often scolded us for the stupid things that we – mainly Niall and Louis – did, but joined our shenanigans anyway.” They both chuckled at that. “He has brown, puppy eyes that make him look so kind, and he is. Next, we have Zayn, and I swear to God, he can kill with looks alone.” Gemma raised her eyebrows. “Zayn has honey-coloured eyes, long, curled up eyelashes that cast shadows every time the sun shines on them. His hair is black, always so perfectly styled it’s strange. He’s quiet, but cheeky as hell, and so _fucking talented_ in painting.” Gemma slapped his arm, and he grinned sheepishly. “Sorry.”

  


“What about _Louis?_ ”

  


Harry instantly blushed, a shy smile on his lips. Gemma quirked up an eyebrow, eyeing her brother closely as she smirked. “He, um… we met under a strange circumstance.” He fiddled with the hem of his pyjama shirt. “I had a panic attack in the toilet, and Zayn was there, but he didn’t know what to do so he called Louis. Moments later, he came, all sweaty and breathless, and we didn’t know each other that time, but he held me and I instantly calmed down.” He smiled at the memory. “It’s weird, because that never happened before, but with him, I feel like I can trust him, and he made me feel _safe._ And his eyes are so _blue,_ ever-changing with the clothes he wears. I could get lost in those eyes, Gemma, drowning in the depth of his gaze but instead of consuming me, his eyes keep me afloat, _warm and protected._ ”

  


Gemma smirked wider. “And I bet he’s _pretty_ too.”

  


He quickly nodded. “He is! His hair is soft and feathery, the fringe swept to the side. His cheekbones were so sharp, contrasting perfectly with his button nose and thin lips.” He envisioned himself kissing those lips before shaking his head vigorously, face crimson. “And um- uh- he’s- uh-”

  


Gemma cackled when Harry struggled to find the words to describe Louis. “Okay, enough of that. I get the picture.” Harry let out a deep breath, sighing in relief. “So in short, you’ve found four amazing friends, and you have a _crush_ on Louis.” 

  


Harry nodded shyly, unable to deny the truth. Gemma smiled. “I’m glad, Harry. I can tell that they made you happy, and they took you out of your comfort zone. By the looks of it, they made you do so many things that you refused to do before, and I’m so proud of you, baby brother.” She hugged Harry tightly, hooking her chin on his shoulder. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

  


Harry pulled away suddenly, making Gemma look at him in confusion. “Gems, I need your help.”

  


“With what?”

  


“Louis’ birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and I need your help in decorations.” Gemma’s eyes twinkled. “And you’re going to team up with his sisters.”

  


“Oh, bring it on! I’m going to provide only the _best_ of decorations.” She flipped her long, chocolate hair, a smug smile on her lips. They started discussing about the possible decorations for the party, and she was thrilled to know that the party would be held at the park. Just as Harry was describing the details, the doorbell rang. Harry’s face lit up.

  


“That must be them!”

  


He scurried to the door, forgetting that he’s still in his pyjamas, a confused Gemma on tow. He opened the door, revealing an enthusiastic Niall, a grumpy Zayn from being woken up so early, and a fresh-looking Liam.

  


“Guys! Come in, come in.” He stepped aside, opening the door wider and giving access to the lads. He gestured to Gemma. “This is my sister, Gemma, a junior in college. Gems, this is Niall, Liam and Zayn.” They exchanged pleasantries and handshakes, smiling politely. “Now that the whole gang is here, we can start the discussion!”

  


“Uh… H?” Niall’s tone was hesitant. “I get it that you’re excited and all, but are you sure you’re dressed _properly_ for the occasion?”

  


Harry widened his eyes comically, making the four of them laugh. “Shit!” He ran before stopping, turning towards them. “I’ll be quick. Meanwhile, please make yourselves at home. And Gems,” he stared pointedly at Gemma. “ _Please don’t embarrass me._ ”

  


Gemma smirked mischievously. “Oh, I _won’t._ ”

  


Harry scowled, but he ran upstairs anyway, leaving Gemma with the lads. She brought them to the living room, asking them to sit as she went to make tea but the lads just followed her, used to helping themselves in Harry’s house even though Anne insisted that they didn’t have to. Gemma quirked up an eyebrow, impressed with the close proximity between them.

  


“So, how was Harry at school?”

  


They sat in the living room, five hot, steaming cups of tea on the table. Liam cleared his throat. “He’s doing great. Occasionally, he had panic attacks, and some stupid jocks just couldn’t leave him be sometimes, but he was never alone.” Liam hesitated, glancing over to Zayn and Niall, earning a nod. “There was one particular incident, a horrible one that got him the attention of the whole school.”

  


Gemma leaned over, hands clasped on her knees. “What incident? Did he get hurt?”

  


Zayn took over. “Not _physically._ ” Gemma nodded in understanding. She would ask Harry for that. “But Li and Louis were there, well, mainly Louis. They got called to the principal’s office, and when words got out, Harry had people thanking him and he was overwhelmed. Even now.” Zayn paused, gathering his thoughts. “And there was one more, but it’s best if you ask him about it.”

  


Gemma nodded, smiling. “I will. And thank you for looking out for him. It really means a lot to us.”

  


Niall grinned. “No need to thank us, Gemma. He’s a wonderful friend, so thoughtful and kind, always a delight to be around him.”

  


Gemma had a matching expression with Niall, and they fell into a friendly discussion and banter, making Gemma felt like he had known the lads for years. Not long after, Harry emerged from the hallway, all freshened up. He took a seat beside Gemma, eyes glinting with excitement.

  


“So, you guys are friends now?”

  


They laughed. “We sure are, H. Your sister’s cool, might want to adopt her.” Harry immediately enveloped Gemma into a side hug, putting his head on her shoulder and pouting. “She’s _my_ sister. No one can take her.”

  


Gemma chuckled, slapping his arm, sticking her tongue out when Harry glared. “Quit pouting, you big baby.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Now, I assume that they’re here for Louis’ birthday party, so what’s your plan?”

  


“So, Gems, you’re in charge for decorations, we’ll leave you at that.” Gemma nodded, mentally picturing the colourful decorations she could conjure with. “Then we need fold-over tables, chairs, and barbeque equipment, if possible.”

  


“I have those.” Liam chirped. “My dad and I used to go camping when I was a kid, so we have fold-over stuff.” Harry smiled appreciatively. “Great, thanks Li. All that’s left is the ingredients for barbeque.”

  


Zayn perked up. “Leave it to me. I’ll supply the ingredients like meat, spices and others.”

  


Harry grinned, checking the last box and closed his notebook. “Wonderful. So I’ll be baking a cake and chocolate cupcakes with colourful frosting, Mum will be cooking something. Now let’s go to the park and see where will we set everything up.”

  


They sat up, wearing their coats and scarves before bracing the cold winter wind and marched to the park. They walked towards the large empty space right in the middle of the park, large trees providing natural canopies to the area, effectively shielding the sun. Beautiful types of flowers scattered around, creating a field of blooming flowers with vibrant colours.

  


“This is perfect.” Gemma shuffled forwards. “We’ll put the tables and chairs here.” She pointed to the heart of the space. “Decorations will be hung on the trees, where we can reach.” She then put her fingers under her chin. “I’m thinking of an _archway,_ Harry. To stick the balloons, and to make it special.”

  


The lads perked up. “That’ll be amazing, Gems. I knew you’re brilliant in this.” Gemma bowed dramatically. “I’ve _always_ been amazing, Harry.”

  


Harry rolled his eyes. “Sure. Anything else? I’m cold.”

  


They discussed a few more things before walking home, excitement filling the air. Just then, two little bodies rammed into Harry, causing him to stumble backwards but Liam caught his forearm in time. He muttered his thanks to Liam, and looked down to see two pairs of bright, blue eyes staring up into him.

  


“Ernie? Doris? What are you doing here?”

  


Niall crouched down to their level, and they brightened up. “We’re walking. With Lou, and everyone!” They brought their tiny hands up in the air, giggling as they pointed behind them. Sure enough, there was Louis, and his sisters, walking up to them, a grin plastered on his face.

  


“Harry! Lads! Fancy meeting you here.” He hugged everyone, before his eyes landed on Gemma who smirked at him. He narrowed his eyes, a playful smile on his lips. “And you look awfully similar to Harry. Must be his sister then.”

  


Gemma nodded, extending her hand. “Obviously. I’m Gemma, and you must be the _infamous_ Louis.” He raised his eyebrows, glancing towards Harry who was blushing. “Indeed, I am.” He took Gemma’s hand, winking. “Hope you hear only good things about me.”

  


Gemma returned the gesture. “Only the _best_ things.” The lads laughed knowingly, making Harry’s face turn beet red as he elbowed Gemma, pouting. “Well, let me introduce you to my crazy army.” He turned to the blonde beside him. “This is Lottie, my second-in-command. Next to her is Fizzy. And then, we have the twins, Phoebe and Daisy.” They all waved, grinning brightly. “Our last will be these two, Doris and Ernest, but he goes with Ernie.” The two toddlers showed their toothy grin, looking up to the rest of them. Harry and Gemma cooed at how adorable they looked.

  


“Hello, I’m Harry, and this is my sister, Gemma. Nice to finally meet you.”

  


Lottie giggled. “Don’t lie, Harry. We met before.” Harry grinned, while the other looked at them in confusion. “They went to my mum’s bakery, and we exchanged waves, didn’t we, Lottie?”

  


“Me too!” Fizzy exclaimed. “I waved to you too, Harry!”

  


Harry laughed. “You did! It was a pleasant surprise.” They giggled, falling into a light-hearted chatter. Harry felt warm, despite the cold breeze nipping his nose and cheeks, surrounded by the people he already held close in his heart. Seeing Gemma warmed up to his friends, and the two toddlers who had somehow taken a liking to him, looking up at him with big, blue eyes while babbling nonsense gave him a sense of satisfaction and pride, and he couldn’t stop the face-splitting grin spreading over his mouth.

  


They ended up going back together in a large group, Ernie and Doris holding onto each of Harry’s hands, Phoebe and Daisy linking hands with Gemma, Louis right in front of them with Lottie and Fizzy at his sides, and Liam, Zayn and Niall. He treasured moments like this, one that was sure to be permanently stored in his mind forever.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


They got busy preparing for Louis’ birthday weeks after, with Gemma going to town, shopping for decorations. Harry and Anne tagged along, opting to shop for Christmas decorations as well. They had started to decorate the Christmas tree with red, white and gold ornaments, hanging the little balls along the leaves, as well as miniature gingerbread man, Santa Claus, reindeers, elves and even yeti. Gemma had chastised him for the choice of his decorations, but he retorted, claiming that it was cute. They hung rainbow-coloured fairy lights all around the trees, and put a golden star on top of the tree as the finishing touch. The three of them withdrew a few feet away from the tree, admiring their work. It turned out beautifully, and it shone brightly at the corner just beside the fireplace, illuminating the entire space with glitter and sparkles. At night, the fire emitted light ember glow on the ceiling, overlapping with the fairy lights and projecting little dots akin to stars glowing in the night sky.

  


Between Harry’s work, decorating the house, and preparing for the party, they had somehow managed to not rouse suspicions in Louis, as he himself was busy working. The girls had also been involved in the preparations along the way, helping Gemma with the banners, balloons and scallops. Ernie and Doris tried to help, but ended up making a big mess of the glitters and wordings, spilling them everywhere but mostly on themselves. In the end, they became two little glittery bodies, grinning innocently as they laughed and cleaned them up. Harry glanced over the window, eyes gleaming when he saw pure white snow slowly falling.

  


“It’s snowing!”

  


Eight heads turned in unison towards the window, all eyes in pure shock and excitement. The older twins immediately approached Harry, looking up with hopeful eyes. “Can we go out and play in the snow, please?” Harry exchanged looks with Gemma who only grinned and nodded. “Alright kids, let’s go out and play!”

  


The girls and Ernie squealed with joy, quickly putting on their winter gears and waited impatiently for Harry and Gemma. They walked out, the girls eagerly running around at the front yard, chasing each other and catching the falling snow, laughter echoing in the air. Snow had begun to pile up slowly, so they gathered them into little snowballs and started pelting them. They played for a while, attracting the attention of pedestrians who just smiled at them. Eventually, they grew tired so Harry and Gemma sent them home, with the promise to bring them again for the final preparations as long as they kept it a secret.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry was currently waiting for the cake to bake, with Lottie and Fizzy helping him to decorate the cupcakes with rainbow frosting and little icing hearts. They put edible glitter on top of the rainbow swirls, and Harry was genuinely impressed with how meticulous and careful the girls were. Gemma, Anne, Liam, Zayn, Dan and the rest of Louis’ siblings were already at the park, setting everything up. The snow was getting thicker, but it wasn’t enough to ruin Harry’s plan. If anything, he was thankful for it.

  


“Looking good, girls. Amazing job!”

  


They both grinned at him, turning their attention to the rest of the cupcakes. They finished it just as the oven screeched. Harry took it out and placed the cake on the spin table, carefully coating it with gold and blue frosting, then he used the piping bags and squeezed out the blue and white frosting, creating little waves around the top of the cake. The girls took over, tongue sticking out in concentration, much like Louis, as they put sliced strawberries in between the waves, and wrote neat _“Happy Birthday Louis”_ in the middle in gold with a little heart. Harry beamed proudly at the end product, so he made sure to praise the girls for their hard work and took a picture. They grabbed a beautifully decorated box and put the cake inside.

  


He then quickly ran upstairs, grabbing a medium-sized box on the nightstand. He went back down, holding the cake box carefully and gave the present to Lottie. He locked the door and they walked to the park, Fizzy holding the box of cupcakes. When they arrived at the park, Harry’s jaw dropped open. There really was a beautiful white archway not far from the table, decorated with flower vines and colourful balloons. The tables were covered with blue tablecloths, various food arranged neatly on them – roasted chicken with homemade mash potatoes, fruit platter, different types of meat on skewers, wine for the adults and fizzy drink for the teenagers and below, iced chocolate for the toddlers. The spot in the middle was left empty, so Harry put the cake and cupcakes there. Lottie put the present on the gift table, covered with gold tablecloth. There was a gold and blue banner hanging across the lower branches of the tall tree, colourful letters adorning the middle that spelt “Happy 16th Birthday, Louis!” and scallops all around it. All in all, Harry was immensely satisfied with how it turned out.

  


“Looks great, isn’t it?” Gemma came to stand beside Harry, grinning.

  


“It’s amazing, Gems. Thank you so much for doing this.”

  


Gemma waved him off. “Not just me, they all contributed to this, and give credit to yourself too.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Louis will love it.”

  


Harry bit his bottom lip, the nerves creeping up his senses. “You think?”

  


Gemma smiled. “I _know_ he will.”

  


Just then, Harry’s phone pinged. He took out his phone, and read the text from Niall.

  


**Niall: We’re on our way. Get ready.**

  


Harry replied with an “okay” before pocketing his phone and clapped his hands, earning attention from everyone. “Niall just texted. He said they’re on their way so quick, girls, go stand by the archway with your party poppers.” The girls grinned brightly, grabbing the items and ran to stand on each side of the archway. He put the unicorn party hats onto Doris and Ernie, laughing when the horns poked them on the cheeks as they bobbed their heads.

  


“They’re here!” Lottie whisper-shouted, and Harry quickly stood in middle of the path, a little further from the girls. They saw Louis and Niall arguing as they walked closer, Niall stifling his laugh as he guided the blindfolded Louis forward. He stopped right under the archway, slowly untying the blindfold. Louis squinted his eyes, immediately turning his head towards Niall.

  


“I swear to God, Ni, if this is a prank-”

  


“Happy birthday!”

  


Louis jumped at the sudden loud sound and he whipped his head around, eyes widening as he saw his loved ones right in front of him with bright smiles. The girls popped the poppers, aiming them straight at Louis, laughing when he stumbled backwards a bit. He chuckled, brushing the tiny papers away before his eyes landed on a very happy Harry. He grinned.

  


“How do you know?”

  


Harry shrugged. “I have my sources.” He smiled. “There’s more.”

  


Louis raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

  


The girls eagerly took his hands and dragged him further into the park. His eyes zeroed in the decorations, and then flickered to the gifts, and lastly, he saw the cake and other food being prepared just for him. He was utterly speechless, tearing up at the sentiment.

  


“This…” He choked. “It’s _incredible._ ” He looked towards each and every person who had made his birthday even more eventful, new memories being made after he gave up celebrating it when his mum died. “Thank you, all of you.”

  


Niall slung an arm around his shoulders, knocking him slightly. “Come on, Lou. Cut the cake already. I’m starving.”

  


Louis scoffed. “You really killed the mood, Ni.” He shrugged his arm off his shoulders lightly, walking towards the table, smiling when he saw the intricate golden writing in the middle of the cake.

  


“We wrote it, you know?” Lottie piped in, grinning excitedly. “Fizzy and I. We also did the frosting on the cupcakes, with glitters and icing hearts.” Fizzy nodded, matching the bright grin on her sister’s face. Louis ruffled their hair, earning scowls and jabs to the side. “Amazing work, girls. So neat, and I’m proud.” They beamed. “Thank you.”

  


Louis cut the cake and put the slices on paper plates. Harry helped distributing the plates to everyone, and he watched as Louis looked around in awe. It was cold, but he felt all warm inside, and when their eyes met, he felt sparks inside his stomach, butterflies erupting and heat creeping up his cheeks. Louis’ eyes were so _blue,_ and he saw little sparkles twinkling in them, conveying so much emotions to Harry, and for the umpteenth time, he wanted to drown in them, letting the tidal wave in his eyes brought him to the deepest ocean, and he would still feel _safe._

  


They talked and laughed, built snow forts and pelted snowballs towards each other. The little ones built their own snowman with the help of Dan and Anne, while Harry, Liam, Niall, Zayn, Louis, Gemma and the girls had snowball fights. Shrieks and screams filled the air, misty breaths coming out of their mouths, and it was freezing, but they never felt so warm. Ultimately, they grew tired and laid on the thick snow in a circle, moving their arms and legs, creating snow angels in various sizes, giggling and smacking snow onto each other’s faces. Doris and Ernie joined them right in the middle of the circle, making their own little angels. It’s a sight to behold; two little angels surrounded by larger ones, acting as guardian angels, protecting them from the cruelty of the world.

  


When the sun had started to set, they cleaned the space, throwing the trash into big garbage bags, took down the banner, folded the tablecloths, tables and chairs, and untangled the archway. Liam had constructed the archway, and Zayn helped painting it, so they worked together to take out each piece and kept them in a bag. Gemma helped Louis put the presents in a large bag, and after thorough checking, they left the park. Doris and Ernie were already asleep in Dan’s and Anne’s arms, exhausted from playing all day. Phoebe and Daisy hooked their hands with Gemma’s, energy still at its peak. Lottie and Daisy walked between Liam, Zayn and Niall, talking and laughing animatedly. Harry and Louis were the last ones, opting to walk slowly and watch everyone else.

  


Harry turned towards Louis, eyeing his side profile. “Did you have fun?”

  


Louis glanced over to him, the brightest smile on his lips. “I did.” He stared right into Harry’s emerald eyes. Harry gulped. “This was by far the _best_ birthday I’ve ever had, so thank you, Hazza.” He stopped and turned his entire body towards Harry. Harry mimicked him, green boring into blue. “It means so much to me.”

  


He caressed Harry’s cheeks, brushing the stray curls on his forehead with his fingers. He looked into the pool of mossy green before slowly leaning in. Harry’s heart was beating rapidly against his chest, and he closed his eyes, feeling a pair of warm lips on his cheek. It lingered for a while before it was gone. Harry opened his eyes, seeing Louis smiling that sweet smile, faint blush coating his cheeks.

  


“I’ll see you tomorrow, Hazza.” He touched his forehead with Harry’s, the smile never leaving his lips. “Thank you for today. I _loved_ it.”

  


He pulled away from Harry, squeezing his hand before letting go and walked ahead. Harry let out a huge breath, unaware that he was holding his breath the whole time. He brought his hand up to his cheek, touching the lingering warmth from Louis’ lips. His face broke into a giddy smile, the butterflies erupted freely inside his stomach, splashes of colours filling all his senses as he came to a realisation.

  


_He really, really liked Louis Tomlinson._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might be posting another chapter on December 25th, so stay tuned!
> 
> (p/s: How was this chapter? Does it make you all giddy inside? Let me know what you think in the comments!)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies! Thank you for the amazing comments! And thank you for the kudos, bookmarks, and hits! Thank you for supporting this story!
> 
> I promised you a fluffy Christmas chapter, so here it is! In my country, it's currently 1.15am, December 25th, so Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating! For those who don't (we're the same), hope you have a great holiday!
> 
> I don't know when will I post another chapter since my brother's coming home after 2 months, so I'd like to spend time with him but I'll keep writing new chapters ;)
> 
> Again, Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone! I love you xx
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!

# Lotus

### 

“Merry Christmas, Harry!”

  


Harry was woken up with a hard body on top of him and jovial laughter resonating across the walls in his room. He cracked an eye open, groaning when a grinning Gemma appeared in his line of vision. He pushed her and laid on his side, smirking when Gemma shrieked and rolled off the bed with a loud thud. His happiness didn’t last long though, as Gemma yanked the duvet away before launching herself on top of him again.

  


“Gemma, you’re heavy. Get off.” He whined, wriggling around to lie flat on his back, eyes widening when he saw the mischief glinting in her eyes. “Gems, no-”

  


She attacked Harry with her thin fingers, tickling his sides, stomach and under his chin. Harry was a laughing mess underneath her, trying his best to wriggle his way out but Gemma had him pinned down on the mattress, continuing the attack with a smirk.

  


“S-stop! G-Gems!” Harry couldn’t get his words out, laughter bubbling in his throat and escaping his lips. His face had turned a deep red from laughing so much, breathing ragged. “Okay, okay! I surrender!” He patted the mattress repeatedly, and Gemma giggled, standing beside the bed with her hands on her hips.

  


“That’s what you get for pushing me.”

  


Harry laid motionless, chest heaving up and down in attempt to bring back the oxygen into his lungs. He looked over to Gemma who was already dressed in her Christmas outfit – a red long-sleeve woollen sweater with a white collared shirt underneath, a black skirt with a thick legging underneath it, and a pair of black woollen socks with little snowflakes embroidered all over it. Her hair was left untied, bouncing in waves in every move. She looked beautiful. He smiled.

  


“Merry Christmas, Gemma.”

  


Gemma beamed. “Come on Harry, get up and wear your Christmas outfit so we can open our presents!” Harry bolted up quickly, dashing to the bathroom, leaving a giggling Gemma as she shook her head and made his bed. She then left the room, going downstairs to help Anne prepare the food.

  


Harry hummed the tune to All I Want For Christmas Is You, lathering his body with lavender-scented body wash and shampoo, rinsing it all and turned off the faucet. He dried his body and hair, brushed his teeth and walked out the bathroom with a skip in his steps. He took out a red, thick woollen jumper, a thick, plaid joggers and a pair of black, plain socks. The jumper had a brightly-decorated Christmas tree embroidered at the front, along with falling snowflakes and gifts underneath the tree. He ruffled his hair and went downstairs, inhaling the scrumptious aroma coming from the kitchen.

  


“Smells so good!” He walked behind his mum, snaking his arms around her waist and hooking his chin on her shoulder, kissing her cheek. “And merry Christmas, Mum.”

  


Anne turned her head to the side, kissing his temple. “Merry Christmas, honey. We’re going traditional this year – roast turkey with cranberry sauce, roast potatoes and parsnips, salad bowl as you like it, and a fruit platter.”

  


Harry pouted. “No Christmas pudding?”

  


Gemma chuckled. “Maybe this time around we should have a Christmas cake.”

  


“We already ate cake yesterday!” Harry exclaimed, making Gemma giggle.

  


“That was a _birthday_ cake, Harry. It’s Christmas today, so please, be a dear and bake a cake for us.”

  


Harry rolled his eyes, releasing his hold on Anne and rolled his sleeves up, taking the ingredients out of the cabinet. They fell into a fit of giggles and chatter as they worked together for a Christmas cake, opting for a red velvet cake with white and red frosting, drawing little gingerbread men and snowflakes in the middle with red frosting. Gemma added a miniature Christmas tree that looked more like poop. Harry laughed, and Gemma smacked his head. They ended up smearing the leftover frosting onto each other’s face, shrieking and giggling joyously. Anne glared at them, effectively stopping their childish banter and they helped to clean the counter and the dirty dishes.

  


The three of them sat in the living room with three cups of hot tea, reminiscing old stories when they were children.

  


“Oh, I remember something!” Gemma exclaimed. “Harry was 5, and we were playing at the park, building snowman and stuff.” Harry groaned. “Harry was chosen as the model for our snowman, but instead of making one like him, he insisted that we built him as a snowman.” Anne giggled at that while Harry put his face in his hands. “So we did, we made two separate halves of a circle and stuck them together to fit Harry in the middle. We were so into it and managed to cover him entirely before someone shouted about wanting to play hide-and-seek.” Gemma covered her mouth as laughter threatened to escape her lips. “We played until you called us over, and we left, completely forgetting Harry.”

  


Harry couldn’t help but laugh too. “Yeah, and I was stuck inside that snowman for hours. I hated you then, Gems.”

  


Gemma laughed, nodding her head. “You wouldn’t talk to me for the rest of the night, even though I _apologised._ ”

  


They smiled at the memory. “It was horrible, but funny at that time.”

  


They talked some more, before Anne announced that it’s time to open the presents. Harry and Gemma beamed with excitement, hurrying over to the tree and rummaged around. They both got two presents each – one was a new outfit for both of them, and the other was different for each of them. Harry got a new guitar, and he teared up at that. He hugged Anne tightly, kissing her cheeks and thanking her profusely. His old guitar was old and tattered, so he was beyond ecstatic to get a new one. Gemma, on the other hand, received the perfume she had always eyed for – Gucci’s Bloom Nettare Di Fiori. She unashamedly cried in her mum’s arms, peppering her with kisses all over her face until Anne pushed her away. Harry and Gemma had gotten Anne a beautiful floral long dress in cream, with flowy sleeves, and a silver necklace with a matching bracelet with golden lines, their initials engraved inside the necklace and bracelet. She hugged them against her chest, tearing up before gathering them into a bear hug, and they spent the entire morning and lunch in each other’s arms, savouring the warmth of home.

  


Harry went up to his room, sitting on the bed and checking his phone, grinning when the boys all wished the same “Merry Christmas” with Christmas emoji in the group. He swiftly replied to them, laughing when they all shared their Christmas stories. Niall once got lost when he tried to help a puppy find its owner, crying in the middle of nowhere until someone took him to the police station and got reunited with his mum not long after. Liam, on the other hand, was playing snowball fights with his sisters before he got knocked out pretty badly by a particularly hard throw from a boy who joined them. It was an accident, of course, and he ended up in a hospital overnight. Zayn didn’t celebrate Christmas, but there was one time that his mum left him for two days (not on purpose) all alone. His mum and sisters were all trying to catch a flight, and in the hassle, she had forgotten about him until they were on the plane, and the only flight back was available after two days due to the terrible storm. His mum and sisters came home all worried, only to find him sitting still on the couch with a blanket draped around his body, eyes fixed to the door. They screamed because he looked exactly like a statue with wide eyes, unmoving.

  


Louis had the most _disastrous_ story of them all. He reassured his mum to rest, leaving the cooking to him and his sisters, so they got to work. He was hopeless in the kitchen, and Lottie and Fizzy weren’t faring much better. They tried to bake a cake, but somehow, everything took a wrong turn, and they almost brought the house on fire. The kitchen was already a mess with flour spilling all over, Phoebe and Daisy giggling around in the chaos, in addition to the burnt cake. Luckily, they opened the windows just in time before the smoke reached the alarm, but their mum came down anyway. They stood in the kitchen covered in flour and chocolate, looking guiltily at her, mumbling their apology. Their mum just shook her head and laughed, kissing them on the head and scooped the twins into their chairs. Then they cleaned the mess, and baked another cake together.

  


**Z: You’re a nightmare in the kitchen, Lou. Since you were little.**

**Z: And that’s a known fact.**

**Li: Agreed.**

**Lou ☼: Shut up, you two.**

**Lou ☼: At least I tried. And I’m helpful.**

**Ni: Yeah, you helped to make a mess, more like.**

**Lou ☼: I was a kid! Kids are supposed to mess everything up!**

**Li: Especially you.**

**Lou ☼: Fuck you.**

**Lou ☼: I hate all of you.**

**Harry: Well, it’s still sweet that you tried to help, Lou ;)**

**Lou ☼: Everyone, except Harry.**

**Z: When did you ever hate H anyway?**

  


Harry blushed at that, hiding his face in the pillow at the obvious display of affection that didn’t go unnoticed by their observant friends. His phone still pinged with notifications, but a certain sound made him grab his phone and opened the text, because he set a different sound for Louis.

  


**Lou ☼: Merry Christmas, Hazza ;)**

**Lou ☼: Are you free this evening?**

  


Harry’s heart skipped a beat.

  


**Harry: Merry Christmas, Lou ;)**

**Harry: Yeah, I have nothing planned. Why?**

**Lou ☼: Cool! I’ll pick you up at 5.**

**Lou ☼: Make sure to bundle up!**

  


Harry immediately flicked his eyes towards the time displayed on top of the screen. _4.30pm._ He sat up quickly, clambering to the closet and looked at all the options before choosing a navy blue thick turtleneck sweater and a pair of black denim jeans. He also took out a square wrapped package, brushing it gently and smiling. It’s something that he made by himself, and he hoped that Louis would like it.

  


He opted to wear the socks he currently had on, and sat on the bed, texting back and forth with the boys in the group before he went down 10 minutes before 5, sitting on the couch. His knees were shaking with nerves, and his whole body was jittery. His eyes diverted from the clock and the door, hands smoothing the invisible wrinkles on the sweater. Gemma walked by, whistling.

  


“Looking good, Harry. Off to a date or something?”

  


He snapped his head towards his sister who took the empty seat beside him. “Lou’s coming. He said he’d pick me up at 5.”

  


Gemma’s interest peaked, and she sat up straighter. “Where are you going?”

  


Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, he didn’t tell me. Just asked me to bundle up.”

  


Gemma smiled knowingly, nodding her head. “I just _know_ that whatever he had planned, it’s going to be simple but _special._ ”

  


Harry blushed, ducking his head. “I hope so.”

  


A soft knock on the door startled them both, and they got up from the couch, walking to the door. Gemma sensed that Harry was getting nervous, so she gently grabbed his arm, rubbing her hand up and down the length. Harry smiled appreciatively, took a deep breath and opened the door. The cold wind wafted past him, nipping his nose and cheeks, but his senses were numbed when he caught sight of a very _soft_ Louis in front of him – soft, feathery caramel hair that was styled up into little spikes, the fringe swept to the side, a white turtleneck with a thick black coat wrapping his body snugly, showing the curve of his waist. He wore a black denim jeans and a pair of thick boots, and his piercing blue eyes just complimented everything else.

  


_He looked absolutely stunning._

  


“Harry? Where did you go?”

  


He blinked his eyes, finally releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding. He glanced stupidly at Gemma, who had a smirk on her face while Louis just giggled.

  


“Um… no-” he cleared his throat. “nowhere.”

  


"You look great, Haz."

  


Harry felt his cheeks heat up. "You too."

  


Louis smiled that dazzling smile which made Harry weak on the knees but he kept himself upright. _God he’s beautiful._ “Ready to go?”

  


Harry nodded. “Yeah.”

  


He grabbed his coat, hugging Gemma before walking out. “Have fun, boys! And Louis,” Louis looked over to her. “Please bring him home _safe_ and _happy,_ alright?”

  


Louis grinned. “I’ll bring him back safe _and_ feeling _loved,_ Gemma.” He winked which had Gemma cackling loudly, crimson red painting Harry’s cheeks as he looked down, his feet kicking the snow, feeling giddy in anticipation. Gemma waved at them, and they walked to the direction of the park side by side. Their hands were in their pockets, breaths coming out in mist, and their shoulders brushed each other from how close they’re walking. It was freezing, but Harry only felt _warmth_ radiating from their proximity.

  


They reached the park in silence, and just stood there. They admired the vast space, full with children and their families playing in the snow, screams and laughter filling the air. Some of them were building snowmen, some were throwing snowballs and running around, and some just simply laid flat, star-fishing. They both smiled at the sight.

  


Louis nudged him, head cocking to the side. “Come on.”

  


“Where to?”

  


Louis smiled. “Our secret place.”

  


Harry’s heart nearly exploded from how fast it’s beating. _Our secret place._ He didn’t know why, but the sense of belonging he felt when Louis said _our_ warmed him to no end. It’s a proof that someone deemed him _important_ enough to share his safe place and called it _theirs._ He followed Louis, comfortable silence accompanying each scrunch of snow under their steps. He noticed the scattered flower petals along the path, and he wanted to ask, but he kept his mouth shut. They stopped right in front of the opening, and Louis turned to Harry.

  


“Close your eyes, Haz.”

  


He did what he’s told, letting Louis lead him. He focused on the feeling of their interlocked hands, the dormant butterflies starting to take flight. He could feel the swaying of the leaves, and he could smell a delicious aroma wafting in the air.

  


“You can open your eyes now.”

  


His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he immediately put a hand over his mouth. There, in front of him, which used to be full with autumn leaves was now fully covered in white, the beautiful flowers peeking out from their original spots, vibrant colours perfectly contrasting the pure, white snow. In the middle of the wide space, a green picnic blanket was placed along with a set of meal and a long candle between the plates. There was also a small bouquet of flowers beside the candle, and everything just took his breath away.

  


“Lou…” He looked to his side, tears welling up. “This is… how?”

  


Louis grinned. “Thought of doing something special for you long ago. And after what you did yesterday, it’s fitting, don’t you think?”

  


Harry couldn’t form his words, too stunned to do anything but nod. Louis squeezed his hand, slowly guiding them to the blanket. As they walked closer to the heart of the area, Harry got a phenomenal view of the frozen lake and how the evening sun shone brightly above them, reflecting beautifully on the surface and the snow glittered with golden little sparkles. Louis sat him down before going to sit across from him, rubbing his hands together.

  


“So, um…” He started, and Harry could sense that he was nervous. “First of all, this is for you.” He gave the bouquet to Harry who accepted it with a shy smile. “Second, you know I can’t cook for shit, but I practiced this and I hope it’s at least edible.” He opened the metal cover, revealing a very neatly presented chicken meal. “It’s chicken stuffed with mozzarella wrapped in parma ham, with a side of homemade mash.” He announced with a shy smile, faint blush coating his cheeks. “Try it.”

  


_Oh boy, Harry’s so whipped._

  


He cut the chicken in small pieces, munching slowly to savour the rich taste of cheese mixed with a perfectly cooked chicken. He had to admit, i _t was really good._

  


“This is amazing, Lou!”

  


Louis beamed, and he finally started eating his own. He chewed happily, satisfied with his effort to cook for Harry, and he smiled fondly as Harry ate the meal with the happiest expression on his face, dishing out praises every now and then. They talked and laughed, sharing stories from their childhood (the ones that weren’t told in the group chat), and as the sun set, they were simply basking under it, eyes closed and content smiles on their lips. They were facing the lake, arms propped behind as they leaned backwards, legs stretched forwards. Harry listened to the soft swaying of the leaves, shaking a bit when the wind blew past him.

  


“Oh, before I forget.” Harry turned his head to Louis who was rummaging his pocket for something, beaming when he found it, handing a small square box wrapped in red and white stripes. “Your Christmas gift.”

  


Harry’s hand was trembling as he reached out for it, gently holding it in his palms.

  


“What is this?”

  


Louis just smiled. “Open it.”

  


Harry carefully unwrap the gift, not wanting to tear it apart since he had the feeling that Louis took his time to wrap it. A gorgeous golden velvet box came into view, and Harry felt the tears pooling inside his eyes again. He looked up to Louis, his vision becoming blurry but he could make out the nod Louis gave him so he slowly opened the box and his tears fell freely. There, nestled in the box was a silver necklace with a single, small Lotus as the pendant. The pendant glowed stunningly under the setting sun.

  


"Lou..."

  


“Lotus represents purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth, which I think is fitting for you.” Louis started, eyes never wavering from Harry’s face. “When I first met you, I saw a young man tainted by grave misfortune, but deep down, you want to break free from the invisible reigns that held you captive; the purity and innocence shining through your eyes that contradict the darkness rooted within you, and I think it’s beautiful.” Louis smiled. “As days passed by, I watched you slowly getting out of your carefully constructed cocoon, and I’d like to think that we played a part in that; the source of enlightenment, bringing colours into your monochrome life.” Harry nodded, chuckling lightly as he recalled the changes in his life ever since he met Louis, Liam, Zayn and Niall. Louis turned his body fully towards Harry.

  


He brought his hand up, thumbing away the tears from Harry’s cheeks. “In time, and I know it’s going to be a long journey, you will, without fail, self-regenerate one day, when you finally accepted that all those broken parts of yours are what made you the way you are, and you will eventually learn how to let go and start anew.” Louis brushed the stray curl on his forehead, smiling. “And that’s how you will be reborn; a force to be reckon with because you struggled, tamed your demons, and ultimately, you become the _person you’re destined to be._ ”

  


Harry launched himself towards Louis, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck and hid his face in the crook of Louis’ neck. Louis stumbled backwards a bit, but quickly regained his composure and hugged Harry just as tightly around his waist. For a while, they just sat there wrapped in each other’s arms as Louis stared into the wide horizon, orange and red hues painting the sky. When Harry finally calmed, he pulled back, sniffling and Louis laughed at how ridiculous he looked. Harry pouted, so Louis used his sleeves to wipe the tears and snot, grimacing but couldn’t care less. His eyes and nose were all red and puffy, and he looked utterly adorable with his wild curls springing on his head.

  


Harry took out the necklace, putting it in his open palm. “Thank you, Lou. This is honestly amazing and beautiful.” He glanced towards Louis, fidgeting. He knew his face was already red from crying so much, so the blush creeping up his cheeks only added to the colour. Louis chuckled.

  


“What is it, Haz?”

  


His tone was so gentle Harry felt like kissing the life out of him. He blushed harder at the thought, but composed himself. “Um… can you, uh… um…” He flickered his gaze up, finding that Louis only smiled in encouragement. “Can you please, um… put it on for me?”

  


His voice was so quiet that he wasn’t sure if Louis heard it, but when he moved a little closer to Harry, he knew Louis did. Louis took the necklace, unclasped it and leaned in, rounding his arms to the back of his neck and carefully clasped the clip. He pulled back, admiring how it fitted Harry beautifully. Harry brought his hand up, touching the pendant. _A physical proof of Louis’ warmth that would last forever._ He smiled.

  


“Thank you so much, Lou.” He then remembered Louis’ Christmas gift that had yet to be given. “I, um… I have something for you too.” He took out the square gift from the pocket inside his coat, hesitantly giving it to Louis. “It’s not much, but I really hope you like it.” Louis examined the gift. “Wrapped it myself. Even had a little bow on it.”

  


“Very neatly wrapped indeed, and this little bow is cute.” Louis chuckled, shaking it a little, hearing something rustling inside. “Can I open it?”

  


Harry nodded, nervously playing with his sleeves as Louis cautiously unwrapped the packaging, smiling when he saw the baby blue box. Harry watched Louis open the box, taking out the content and putting the box away. He studied Louis’ expression, the corner of his lips tugging up into a smile when he saw Louis admiring it with awe.

  


“Did you make this?”

  


Harry nodded. Louis was definitely awestruck as he examined the item in his hands. It was a meticulously knitted scarf, the material so thick it could fend off the cold easily. Plus, it was _blue_ in colour, and not just any blue; it was _Louis blue._ He was enamoured, for Harry had taken the time to knit him a scarf, choosing that _specific shade of blue,_ obviously with Louis in mind. He then brushed his hand over the length of the scarf, eyes landing on the letters at the corner of the scarf embroidered in gold – _L.W.T._

  


“Haz…” He said breathlessly. “This is fucking amazing.” He clutched the scarf tight against his chest, ducking his head to nuzzle his nose into it, inhaling the faint smell of Harry. He looked up, smiling with crinkles at the corner of his eyes. “Thank you, Haz. I loved it.”

  


He untangled the scarf around his neck and replaced it with the one Harry gifted him. He folded his old one and put it into the box, closing it. Harry let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, endeared with the fact that Louis loved it so much that he immediately used it.

  


“It’s really warm.” He tugged the scarf closer to his mouth and nose, shielding them from the cold. The sun had almost gone down fully, leaving remnants of orange hues, slowly turning purple and would soon change into dark blue. They sat there, admiring each other’s eyes, and for a moment, everything else was lost in the background. Right now, it was just him and Louis, cerulean meeting forest, surrounded by pure white snow, flower bushes, and the never-ending lush trees.

  


Louis’ eyes bored into Harry’s, an influx of emotions whirling inside them. Harry’s heart beat faster at the intense stare, wanting to look away but he was frozen in place, unable to escape the depth of his gaze. He saw various emotions flashing over the shiny eyes; _hesitance, determination, love._ His eyes flicked from his eyes to the lips and then to his eyes again, this time seeking permission. Harry was too entranced to move, so he let his eyes did the talking.

  


Louis, upon finding the answer in those big, forest eyes, leaned in slowly. Harry was watching his every move intently, and when he finally closed the small gap between them, his breath hitched. Louis’ eyes were closed, and it took him a moment to register what’s happening.

  


_Louis was kissing him._

  


He felt Louis’ warm lips moving tentatively against his, and it took him another moment to finally kiss him back. His eyes fluttered shut, his plump lips overlapping Louis’ thin ones, and he was instantly _addicted._ He put his arms around Louis’ waist, pulling him closer and Louis responded by cupping his face gently, angling their face so their lips could fit easily. Their lips moved softly, and Harry felt _alive._ Sparks were flying, and Harry didn’t want it to stop. He felt Louis’ tongue licking his bottom lip, asking for permission which he gladly offered, letting Louis’ tongue explored the wet cavern. Louis brought one hand to the back of his head and tugged his curls, eliciting a moan from him, and Louis took the opportunity to deepen the kiss as Harry went pliant in his hold. Their tongues fought for dominance, and Harry gave in, feeling the heat in his stomach as he pulled their bodies flushed against each other. His lungs were screaming for oxygen, but he couldn’t care less, not when Louis was kissing him so passionately.

  


Eventually, Louis pulled away slowly, sticking their foreheads together as they panted, the air finally filling their lungs again. They giggled, breaths mixing together as they stared into each other’s eyes.

  


“God, I’ve wanted to do that since the day I met you.”

  


Louis’s voice came out in a whisper, afraid of disrupting the tranquillity of their intimacy if he spoke any louder. Harry couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling in his throat, the whole scenario making him feel all giddy inside, his heart beating calmly. “Me too. If I’ve known kissing you would feel that amazing, I would’ve taken you right there and then.”

  


Louis chuckled. He leaned in, pecking Harry’s lips, relishing in the fact that they were swollen and wet from their intense kissing before pulling away and laughed when Harry pouted. He flickered his gaze into Harry’s eyes, smiling. “Will you be my boyfriend, Haz?”

  


Harry was stone-shocked, unable to move but his eyes searched Louis’, trying to find any hint of him joking, but found _none._ Nestled in his eyes were pure intentions and sincerity, with a hint of determination and a little bit of _fear._ His heart thrummed wildly, mind racing a thousand miles per minute. Louis was still smiling, waiting for his answer patiently, never lowering his gaze. That’s how it was with Louis; always so _patient,_ having only Harry’s best interests in mind. And Harry found his answer then.

  


“Yes.”

  


Harry was shocked with how sure he sounded, but it felt right. Everything with Louis felt right, so when Louis grinned so bright it rivalled the sun itself, Harry felt his whole world lit up, the darkness within him slowly dissipating, welcoming the new sensation to plant itself in his heart. They kissed again, just two pair of lips moving languidly, conveying what the words couldn’t.

  


When they pulled back, it was already dark, the temperature dropping but in the midst of thick snow, the moon shone on them, shiny eyes reflecting their emotions like an open book, warmth spreading like wildfire inside them. They cleared the place, putting the plates, melted candle and cutlery into the picnic basket. Louis folded the blanket, draping it over the basket and offered his hand towards Harry. Blushing, he took his hand, and Louis immediately clasped their fingers together. They walked out their private space and into the normality, talking and giggling over stories of their siblings. When they arrived at Harry’s house, he instantly curled himself into Louis and burrowed his face into his neck, arms snaking around his shoulders. Louis laughed, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist, the laughter reverberating against his chest, sending warm shivers down his spine.

  


“I don’t want to let go.” Harry whispered against Louis’ neck, warm breath tickling his skin. Louis rubbed his back comfortingly, loving it when Harry was being all clingy and adorable.

  


“Me too, but we’ll see each other again, okay?”

  


Harry didn’t respond, only hiding his face further as he pulled Louis closer, trying to bridge the already closed gap between them, inhaling and savouring the smell of Louis’ perfume before he let go, albeit reluctantly. He jutted his bottom lip out, and Louis kissed it away before bopping his nose affectionately, earning cute little giggles from his boyfriend.

  


_God, it felt so good to call Harry his boyfriend._

  


“Go inside, Hazza, before Gemma thinks I kidnapped you.”

  


Harry laughed. “I’ll gladly let myself be kidnapped if it’s you.”

  


Louis smirked. “Maybe someday, and with _permission._ ”

  


Harry’s eyes went wide, for once catching up the insinuation in a split second. He blushed furiously while Louis laughed, reaching out for his hands and kissing his knuckles. “Go inside and keep yourself warm. I’ll call you later.”

  


After one last kiss, they parted ways, and Harry quickly sprinted upstairs to his room, closing the door softly. He shed all his clothes and went to the bathroom, cleaning himself up. He brushed his teeth, changed into his pyjamas and threw himself on the bed. He stared at the ceiling, replaying the events with Louis over and over until they permanently resided inside his mind. He tossed and turned in a giddy manner, trying to hide the blush underneath his palms but came to an abrupt halt when his phone rang. He scrambled to get his phone, grinning brightly when Louis’ name appeared on the screen. He swiped to answer.

  


“Hello?”

  


The soft melody of a song he wrote played in the background, and he smiled. He had promised Louis that he would show him the songs he wrote, but instead of simply showing, he decided to sing them while playing the guitar, compiled them into a playlist and gave it to Louis as his birthday gift. The song Louis had playing was called _Something Great_ , a song he wrote with Louis in mind. He heard soft shuffling of mattress on the other end, indicating that Louis was also in bed. He laid back down, curling to his side, trapping the phone between his ear and the pillow. They listened to the song in silence, letting the melody solidified their feelings towards each other.

  


When the song ended, Louis spoke softly over the phone. “I loved it, Haz. _Every single one of them._ Thank you, for _existing._ ”

  


Harry smiled. “I’m glad, Lou. And thank you too, for _being there._ ”

  


“Anything for you, Hazza.” Harry felt Louis smiling. “Thank you for spending the evening with me.”

  


Harry shook his head although Louis couldn’t see him. “No, Lou. Thank _you_ for taking me out. This is by far the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

  


Louis giggled. “Mine too, all because of _you._ ”

  


Harry blushed, and he was thankful that Louis couldn’t see him. He reflected all the Christmas he celebrated before, and while they were all great, nothing could ever compare with this year’s Christmas. This year, he felt _complete,_ and he grabbed the Lotus necklace, firmly holding it against his chest.

  


“You too.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, another tune playing in the background but Harry was too exhausted to recognise the melody. His eyes were slipping shut, lulled by Louis’ soft humming. Before he passed out completely, he heard Louis’ gentle voice permeating the call.

  


“Have a good night, baby.”

  


And Harry drifted off into a deep slumber, a content smile coating his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's the Christmas chapter? Was it okay? I hope it warmed you up xx
> 
> Comments will always be appreciated!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family, friends, fireworks, the past...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for the late update, been quite busy with stuff but mainly because I wanted to wait until New Year to post this, and it's a whooping 11, 475 words! The longest I've written, so bear with me!
> 
> It's currently 12.05am, January 1st 2021, and someone is playing some fireworks outside, so HAPPY NEW YEAR LOVELIES!! I hope this year brings you so much happiness, and no matter how 2020 went for you, please look forward to this new year with your heads held high and with a new strength, okay? I love you!
> 
> There are trigger warnings here, so please proceed with caution:  
> 1) Past rape  
> 2) Past sexual assault  
> 3) Past bullying  
> 4) Insulting and degrading words (a little)
> 
> With that being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And HAPPY NEW YEAR! xx

# New Beginnings

### 

Soft chirping noises from the visiting birds stirred him awake, squinting as the first ray of sunshine shone straight into him. He got up slowly, rubbing his eyes and yawned, stretching his body and listening to his muscles crack with each movement before wrapping himself up with the duvet and padded to the glass sliding door. He pushed the curtain aside and opened the door, letting the sun to fully enter his room, illuminating it in a golden halo. He stepped outside to the small balcony, smiling as he basked under the morning sun. He could see the garden from where he stood, and where there was neatly trimmed green grass before, now it was entirely covered in white. The plants that his mum had been tending to peeked themselves from the snow, showing off their elegance and warm colours amidst the sea of pure white. For some reason, he was reminded of his friends at the sight; him as the pure, white snow and Louis, Liam, Niall and Zayn as the flowers, shielding but at the same time allowing him to shine through. He giggled.

A gentle waft of breeze blew past him, making him shiver so he retreated into the warmth of his room, closing the door until there was only a little gap left, letting the natural wind inside. He put the duvet on the bed, tidying up and went to the bathroom to shower. When he’s done, he put on his comfiest outfit – a pair of joggers, a simple thick hoodie, and a pair of socks. He left his hair to dry naturally and strutted downstairs, finding Anne and Gemma in the kitchen preparing breakfast, giggling over something.

“Morning Mum, Gems.”

Anne and Gemma turned their heads around, smiling warmly at him.

“Good morning, honey. Slept well last night?”

Harry blushed a pretty pink, glancing over towards Gemma who was smirking. He matched the expression.

“Absolutely well-rested from an _amazing_ night.”

Gemma cackled, while Anne only stared in confusion. Her eyes flickered between her two children, eyebrows quirking. “What did I miss yesterday?”

Gemma looked at Harry, mischief glinting in her eyes. “Oh, Mum, I’m sure Harry will tell us later all about his _amazing_ night.”

Harry lightly nudged her, glaring but Gemma only stuck her tongue out. Anne watched the silent banter before a smile tugged her lips and shook her head. They ate at the kitchen island, scrambled eggs and toast with hot cups of tea and coffee for breakfast. Harry loved the holidays where Gemma would come home and they could spend time together as a family like old times. He brushed away the taunting memories that threatened to disrupt the joyous moment, opting to focus on the present. Maybe it’s because of the holidays, and the people whom he spent his time with that had helped him immensely from his nightmares and demons, and he truthfully didn’t know if he would ever grow out of it, but he had faith that he would one day. For now, he wanted to cherish the time with his loved ones.

After washing the dishes, they went to the living room, talking leisurely. Anne sat on the couch, Gemma and Harry on the floor on either side of her legs near the fireplace and the brightly lit Christmas tree. They leaned against her legs, propping their arm on her thighs as they chatted and laughed, the laughter echoing all over the room. Before long, Gemma poked Harry’s cheek.

“Come on, Harry. Tell us what happened last night.”

Harry groaned. “You’re so persistent. And impatient.”

Gemma slapped his arm as retaliation, chuckling when Harry winced in pain. “I am. Now spill.”

Harry felt his cheeks heating up as the events of last evening played in his mind like movie rolls. He smiled. “So, um… Louis texted me, saying that he would come get me at 5, so I waited with Gemma who just _conveniently_ happened to walk by.” He glared playfully at Gemma who just giggled. “I didn’t know what he had planned, but when he got here, he asked me to follow him so I did, and we went to the park.”

“You guys really loved the park, huh?”

Harry swatted her arm. “Shut it, Gems. I’m trying to get into the mood.”

Gemma rolled her eyes but motioned for him to continue. Harry cleared his throat. “I was confused when he told me to close my eyes, letting him guide me and when he asked me to open my eyes, there was a picnic blanket right in the middle of the pure white snow, complete with two plates, glasses and a long candle on a candlestick. And a beautiful bouquet of pink baby breaths.” Harry giggled as Anne and Gemma looked at him with an awestruck expression. “That’s _exactly_ my reaction when I saw that.”

“Tell us more!”

“He gave me the bouquet, and asked me to try the food since he practiced a lot, and he’s a hopeless cook. So I did, and it tasted _so good._ ” He recalled the delicious meal Louis cooked for him, smiling. “We talked and joked, simply enjoying the evening being next to each other before we exchanged Christmas gifts, and he gave me this.” He proudly showed the Lotus necklace to Anne and Gemma who cooed, reaching out to admire it. “Said that Lotus represents purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth, which he thought were fitting for me.”

Anne smiled. “Indeed, it’s gorgeous, and the meanings definitely couldn’t describe you any better. The Victorian meaning of the flower is wonderful, and I’m sure he took his time in choosing it for you.” Harry nodded, a faint blush on his cheeks, smiling shyly.

Gemma was practically bouncing off the floor, giddy in anticipation. “Did you give him the scarf you knitted?”

Harry nodded, not surprised because Gemma saw him knitting in the living room, occasionally distracting him. She knew it’s for Louis, the colour giving it away but what she didn’t know was the final addition to the scarf – gold embroidered letters that spelt Louis’ initials. That remained a secret between him and Louis.

“Did he like it?”

“He loved it, Gems. So much that he immediately wore it, untangling his old one and folded it into the box.” They giggled, amused. “And then, um… we, uh…” Harry’s face was red as he trailed off, replaying the kissing scene all over again. He glanced over to see Gemma sporting a smirk while Anne just sat there waiting. He hid his face in his arms, voice as low as a whisper. “We _kissed._ ”

Anne put a hand over her mouth in attempt to hide her wide smile, but Gemma was laughing out loud good-naturedly, making Harry burrow his head further, ears growing pink. “Don’t laugh. It’s embarrassing.” He mumbled from where his face was hidden. Eventually, the laughter died out, and he felt a tap on his arm. He slowly glanced up, finding bright smiles plastered on both their faces.

“About time, don’t you think?”

Harry swallowed. “I don’t know. Was it?”

Anne cupped his face. “I’ve seen the way he looked at you, love, and yes, it’s about time something happened between the two of you. Glad he made the effort.” She winked, and he blushed harder.

Gemma nodded. “Yeah, H. But we know there’s more.” Gemma wriggled her eyebrows, and he rolled his eyes. _Stupid Gemma and her insinuations._

“As a matter of fact, yes, there was more.” He flicked a cautious gaze towards them and took a deep breath. “Heaskedmetobehisboyfriend.”

His words came out in one breath, the fastest he spoke so far. He wasn’t sure if his mum and sister heard him correctly, but based on the bear hug he was brought into, he knew they did, and he didn’t know how to react. He just heard squeals of joy.

“Oh my God, Harry, that’s amazing!” Gemma squealed, shaking him back and forth, happiness radiating from her entire body. “Mum, Harry has a boyfriend! And a literal sweetheart at that!”

Anne nodded, eyes shining with tears as she brought a hand against her chest. “I’m so happy for you, honey.” She wiped a single tear that fell. “He’s perfect for you, love.”

“Wait, why didn’t you ask me for my answer?”

Gemma snorted. “As if you have other answers instead of a ‘yes’.” Harry blushed. “Mum, this deserves a celebration!”

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and they looked at each other in confusion. Anne got up, walking towards the door with Harry and Gemma following behind. When Anne opened the door, they were met with a rather large group at their doorstep, each face had a large grin on their lips.

“We came to play!”

Harry, Anne and Gemma stared in amusement before breaking into a fit of giggles. The girls were the ones who announced their arrival in unison, the youngest twins clinging onto Louis’ hands with wide, toothy grins. Niall, Liam and Zayn were right behind them, trying to look innocent but the grins gave them away, snacks, games and drinks in their hands. _This was clearly their plan._

“Welcome! Come in, it’s cold outside.” Anne beamed, warmly welcoming them into the house, helping the children to take off their coats. Gemma cooed at the toddlers, making funny faces as she bent down to their level, gently prying them off their jackets and shoes.

“Sorry we came without telling you first, Anne.” Liam stated, but he didn’t look sorry at all. “We thought of spending time with you guys, so we brought games and snacks.” Niall chirped in happily, raising his hands to show the paper bag full of snacks and what seemed to be board games.

“We have drinks too, so you don’t have to cook and just enjoy yourself.” Zayn smiled. Louis was the one who looked apologetic. “It’s supposed to be just us four, but these little ones insisted that we should bring them along, saying that they wanted to see you three.” He smiled nervously. “I’m sorry, hope you don’t mind.”

Anne waved him off, chuckling. “Oh, Louis, I don’t mind at all! I love these girls, and Ernie too.” She scrunched her nose, making the twins giggle. “And I most definitely don’t mind the intrusion. You all are welcomed anytime.”

With that, the troop beamed and made themselves at home, even raiding the cabinet for plates and glasses. Anne paid no mind, already so used to the prospect of having the boys in her home. She brought out colouring books, sketch pads and storybooks (mainly from Gemma’s and Harry’s collections), crayons, colouring pens and pencils, markers, and other children things. Doris and Ernie jumped up and down excitedly, quickly laying on their stomachs on the floor as Anne approached them with books, papers and colouring stuff. She giggled, sitting on the floor next to them and letting them pick.

Niall put the games he brought on the table. There were Scrabble (Harry’s favourite), Monopoly, Clue, and Superfight, hesitant at first but Niall reassured them that there wouldn’t be bets involved, making the lads sighed loudly in relief. Meanwhile, Gemma and the other girls were fussing over her old clothes, nail polish, and her collection of toys that she had brought down without anyone noticing.

Niall brightened up. “Now, let’s start with something that involves us to rack our brains and solve a mystery, shall we?”

Niall opened the Clue box, spreading the board right in the middle. “Alright, this is the crime scene, and there is a dead man.” He pointed at the bloodied man, Harry shivering at how real it looked. “We must determine who killed him, what murder weapons were used, and where the murder took place. We’ll be using these as clues to help us.” He showed the cards that contained the essential clues. “Clear?”

Four heads nodded, and they began their investigation. Along the way, they argued, aggressively fighting over the weapons used, each claiming that the weapon they found was perfect for the wound. Liam calmly examined the various crime scenes, trying to figure out the exact place the man was murdered. Louis and Zayn worked together to reach a consensus on the murder weapon, while Niall and Harry played detective and tediously discussing about the suspects. After a while, they finally found the suspect and the exact crime scene, the only thing left was the murder weapon. They all turned towards Louis and Zayn, only to find them playing with the carefully crafted weapons, shoving and jabbing them at each other.

“What are you doing?” Liam asked with an eyebrow raised. The two boys jumped, startled by the sudden question directed towards them. They lowered the weapons and sheepishly looked at Liam.

“We, uh… we’re finding the weapon used?” The statement came out more like a question, earning incredulous looks from the other three. Zayn and Louis sighed. “Sorry. We got bored, and you guys were so engrossed in it so we played a little.”

“But we found the murder weapon!” Louis exclaimed, eyes twinkling in excitement. “This dagger. The stab wound is perfectly aligned with the diameter of the dagger, and judging from the depth of the wound, only the dagger fits.” He showed the dagger. “Plus, apparently there is a tiny bit of blood here. Must be in a hurry so the suspect couldn’t clean it properly.”

They nodded, seemingly pleased with how it turned out. “It’s settled, then! This man was murdered in a hotel room, from an argument with a friend turned foe because of a woman. Enraged, he grabbed the dagger he hid under his sleeves and stabbed him repeatedly before pushing him off the balcony. Mystery solved!” Niall patted everyone’s back rather harshly, causing Harry to choke and cough. “Sorry, H. But nice work, lads! We make a great team!”

Liam agreed, grinning. “Always has been, Ni.” Niall matched his expression, rubbing his hands together. “What’s next?”

They played Scrabble next, getting into teams as the girls and Gemma wanted to join. Liam and Zayn teamed up, Niall with Fizzy, Gemma with Lottie, and naturally, Harry gravitated towards Louis, a shy smile on his lips.

“Hey, baby.” Louis whispered into his ear, pressing a soft kiss on the outer shell of his ear, smirking when Harry blushed crimson. He scooted closer, knees touching and shoulders brushing, happy to be in close proximity with his boyfriend.

_His boyfriend._

“There are kids here, so please behave.” Gemma warned with a smirk on her lips. Louis stuck his tongue out in retaliation, already taking their letters and put them on their rack. “Who goes first?”

They determined the turns by playing rock-paper-scissors, Phoebe and Daisy acting as the judge with a dictionary at hand. Gemma and Lottie started first, then Niall and Fizzy, Harry and Louis, and lastly, Liam and Zayn. They played, whispering to their partners of the possible words, almost filling the grid. Harry saw an opportunity, and as if the luck was on their side, there were the desired alphabets on their rack.

“I know a word.” He whispered to Louis. “We’re winning this.”

They shared a mischievous grin, and when their turn came, Harry simply put the letters together to spell the word. They counted, and sure enough, that word boosted their score.

“The hell is ‘juxtapose’? Is that even a word?” Niall furrowed his eyebrows.

“It is. Check the dictionary.”

Daisy and Phoebe flipped through the pages in the J section, diligently finding the word and exclaimed when they found it. “It is! It means ‘place close together’.” They pondered for a moment. “What does that mean?”

Harry chuckled. “It means two elements that are placed closely together, to show the differences between them.” He counted their scores, a smug smirk on his lips, showing the score sheet. “And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we won.”

Louis, Phoebe and Daisy cheered, while the others groaned. Caught up in the moment, Louis hugged Harry tight, pressing kisses to the top of his head and his temple, completely oblivious to the raised eyebrows of their friends, a smirk on Gemma’s lips, and the giggles from the girls. But they just shrugged, and moved on with other games. In Superfight, it became so intense, especially between Louis and Harry, each defending their points heatedly.

“A sabretooth in a jet fighter is undoubtedly the best fighter because it can use its abnormally long canines and sharp claws to attack the enemies in the air!”

“No! Luke Skywalker with the cloak of invisibility is obviously unbeatable, seeing as he can escape and do sneak attacks without anyone noticing and ending them with a single strike!”

They kept fighting over their designated superheroes combined with weird items, shooting daggers into each other while everyone else tried to give them appropriate points. In the end, Louis won with his Luke Skywalker in the invisibility cloak, and he fisted his bump in the air, smiling smugly towards Harry. He narrowed his eyes.

“I’m getting you back for this.”

Louis hummed. “Try all you want, baby, but just so you know, I’m _extremely_ competitive.”

Harry lost all his coherent thoughts at the nickname, blushing furiously as he stared at Louis. The smug smirk snapped him back to reality, and he shook his head.

“Bring it on.”

They played on, each of them winning the rounds and by the time they finished playing every game, it’s already late evening. Snacks and drinks had long been gobbled down, and they reassured Anne not to cook, instead, they ordered pizza and other Italian food, and ate merrily in the living room. It was loud and messy, with Doris and Ernie spilling their food on the table and looked so guilty with their big, blue eyes, only to receive chuckles and pats on their heads before Harry cleaned it with a rag. They talked and joked, like a big happy family, and Harry felt _whole._ He had his friends bonding with his family as if they’re one from the start, the little ones doting on his family and getting more comfortable each day, and he had Louis, his boyfriend, who had an arm around his waist. Harry cuddled further into his side, head on his shoulder, taking everything in. He felt Louis’ thumb rubbing circles on his hip, and he smiled.

This was the best post-Christmas ever.

  


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A few days later, they had another gathering, but this time, Niall was bouncing on his seat, seemingly excited for something. He was biting back a smile, and he put his hands under his thighs in an attempt to ground him. Liam sighed.

“Okay, Ni, spill.”

Niall looked at him, faking innocence. “What?”

“You’ve been jittery all this time. Obviously you have something in your mind.” Zayn rolled his eyes. “Come on, spill.”

Niall contemplated for a while before his mouth broke into the biggest grin. “What do you say about us spending New Year together?”

That perked everyone’s interest, even Harry who almost fell asleep with Louis gently carding his scalp. He was snuggled up with Louis under a fuzzy blanket, relishing the warmth radiating from Louis and the blanket.

“I thought we already decided to spend it together?” Liam tilted his head in confusion, clearly not understanding Niall. “Surely that’s not it?”

It’s Niall’s turn to roll his eyes. “It’s a given that we spend every New Year together, but this time, we have H.” He pointed towards Harry who lifted his head from Louis’ shoulder, like a kitten answering the call of its name. “So I say we go somewhere to celebrate.”

Louis frowned. “Where?”

Niall rubbed his hands together. “I managed to convince my mum to let us stay in our vacation house for a few days, and it’s in London.” He laughed when his friends looked at him with twinkle in their eyes. “So I’m thinking that we can all go there, walk around the streets in London and maybe celebrate New Year somewhere open? Like the Hyde Park or something.”

“What’s this about Hyde Park?”

They all turned to see Gemma standing in the hallway, wearing a comfy sweater and a pair of red jogger. “I hope you don’t plan on doing something stupid.”

Zayn chuckled. “No, Gemma. Niall has a vacation house in London, and he suggested that we all go there to celebrate New Year, maybe in Hyde Park.”

Gemma immediately grinned. “Oh my God! Yes! Let’s all go there and I can show you some of the amazing places there.” She pondered for a moment. “And I can ask my boyfriend too, since he lives there.”

The five lads brightened up at that. “Yes please! We need adults anyway, so you’re our scapegoat.” Niall winked, cackling when Gemma threw a pillow towards him.

“Let’s talk to Mum then!”

Anne entered the living room just then, smiling brightly but frowned when Gemma pulled her further on the armchair. Gemma sat beside Harry, and Anne glanced over to all of them, sensing that they wanted to ask her permission for something.

“Well?”

Gemma cleared her throat. “So, Mum.” Gemma started, making Anne turn towards her. “Niall suggested that we spend time in London, at his family’s vacation house and celebrate New Year there. And since I’m studying there, I want to show them bits of London, probably with Michal along. Can we go, Mum?”

Anne looked at them one by one, seeing the hopeful look in their eyes but also hesitance. Harry bit the inside of his cheeks, nervously waiting for Anne’s answer. Louis’ other hand gently squeezed his hand, thumbing his knuckles to calm him. He gave him a small smile, and it was enough to slow down his heartbeat.

“Can you take care of them though? They’re a loud bunch.” Anne asked with a smile on her lips, directing the question to Gemma.

Gemma rolled her eyes. “Oh Mum, come on. They’re basically _kids_ , and if I can handle Harry and Louis’ little siblings,” Harry and Louis gave her an offended look. “there’s no way I can’t handle them.”

Anne laughed. “Alright then, you can go.” They all cheered loudly before Anne shushed them. “But!” They instantly quietened. “Promise me you all will behave and don’t wander by yourselves.”

“We will!” They chorused together like children promising to listen to their parents (Anne was kind of like their own mum, now), fist-bumping each other and excitedly planning their little vacation. Anne watched them fondly, eyes lingering a bit too long towards Harry and Louis who were glued together, heart swelling with love and gratitude.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Harry, hurry up!”

“One moment!”

Harry was frantically shoving the last of his belongings in his duffle bag, mentally cursing himself for staying up late last night talking to Louis. But it was worth it though, since Louis waited until he fell asleep before ending the call, and he faintly remembered Louis saying “good night, baby” before he drifted off. He grinned maniacally, mindlessly closing his toiletries pouch before he zipped the bag and went downstairs where Anne and Gemma were waiting.

“You’re late, H.” Gemma glared at him, hands on her hip. Harry rolled his eyes.

“Oh shush and let’s go.”

They kissed and hugged Anne goodbye, putting their bags at the back of the minivan they borrowed from Anne, leaving Gemma’s car behind for Anne to use. Gemma plopped into the driver’s seat, while Harry clambered into the back seat. They waved towards Anne, and drove away to pick up the boys. Niall rode shotgun, Zayn and Liam in the middle seat, and Louis hopped into the back seat beside Harry.

“Morning lads! Excited?” Louis asked the group, grinning widely.

“Hell yeah!” Niall exclaimed. “Away for once, let’s just treasure this and let loose!”

“Yeah!” They chorused together, excited chatter filling in the car. Louis finally turned towards Harry, smiling brightly. “Morning baby.”

Harry blushed, still not used to the term of endearment but _oh so enchanted._ He leaned in against his arm, putting his head on Louis’ shoulder, and smiled when Louis took his hand, interlocking their fingers, resting them on his thigh as he kissed the top of his head.

“You guys are gross.” Niall made a gagging noise, glancing over towards Harry and Louis. “Can’t even keep your hands off each other.”

Louis released the hand holding Harry’s, making him pout before smiling again when he felt Louis snaked the same arm he’s leaning against around his waist, rubbing circles on his hip. “Shut it, Ni. We’re boyfriends, it’s just normal.”

Everyone looked at them with their jaws dropped open while Louis smirked smugly and Gemma cackled in the driver’s seat. Harry buried his face in the crook of Louis’ neck, face and ears red from embarrassment and the sudden attention.

“The fuck?” Zayn’s voice went an octave higher, making Harry flinch. “Since _when?_ Why didn’t we know?”

Gemma raised her eyebrows comically, grinning. “So I was the first to know? Oh how I love being the nosy big sister.” She sang-song, diverting her eyes back on the road. The other boys turned back to them, eyes narrowed.

“She knows, but we didn’t?” Niall groaned. “Some _best friends_ we are.” Niall pretended to be hurt, but Harry could sense the hint of joke and amusement in his voice.

“Thought we made it obvious. You have eyes, don’t you?” Louis shrugged nonchalantly, the smirk still plastered on his face. “I asked him to be my boyfriend on Christmas, didn’t plan to tell you this soon but Niall just had to expose us, didn’t you, _Neil?_ ”

Niall feigned innocence, Zayn smacked Louis’ head while Liam just laughed. Of course they could see the intimacy between Harry and Louis, but to think they would actually become boyfriends still shocked them. Whatever it was, they were happy for the outcome, because no one else was as perfect for each other than Harry and Louis.

“Great, now I really am the only single one, fifth-wheeling while everyone else has someone to kiss at midnight on New Year.” Niall sniffled, faking the tears.

Gemma patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Niall. I have a feeling that you’ll find someone while we’re on vacation, and I’m _never_ wrong.” She winked, planting hope inside Niall. They cooed and teased Niall, and the ride continued in joyous chatter and laughter.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Niall’s vacation house was massive. It was pure white with floor-length glass windows, cream curtains hanging over. The door was a sturdy oak wood, metallic brown in colour. The front yard was vast, flower plants and bushes encircling the fence. It was a three-storey bungalow, complete with CCTV installed in strategic places. They stepped inside, and once again, their jaw dropped. It was pristine, spacious and elegant – modern furniture, leather couch and armchair that looked far too comfy to sleep on, a big, round, white furry rug underneath the coffee table, magazines stacked under it. The TV was stuck on the wall, black cabinet situated just under it, adorned with a few small vases of flowers. The kitchen was right next to the living room, open for the eyes to see. It was fully furnished, with marble kitchen counter, kitchen island and dining table. The stairs were spiral, all white with black railings, and the whole flooring was marble too.

Niall laughed. “Alright lads, close your mouths and let’s go upstairs.”

They followed Niall upstairs, heads turning to admire the whole first floor. They skipped the first door they stumbled upon, and Harry assumed it’s the master bedroom. He guided them to the second door, opening it. There was a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room with an identical white, furry rug beside it, two nightstands on either side of the bed, a vanity set in white with gold carvings on it, a white walk-in closet and an attached bathroom. The glass windows showed the expanse of their neighbourhood. Gemma immediately put her bag inside, claiming the room and walked back to the group, resuming the tour. Liam and Zayn roomed together in the third room on the second floor, the arrangement was basically the same but the windows were now facing the back yard, and the bed was next to the door. It didn’t have an attached bathroom, so they had to use the bathroom at the end of the hallway.

Niall led the group to the third floor, opening the first door right in front of the stairs. “This is my room, so you and Louis can choose between the next room and the other one.” They nodded and checked the other two rooms. The room right next to Niall’s was beautiful, a little splash of colour in contrast to the other white rooms. The walls had flowery wallpapers, the bed was a vintage oak wood, the nightstands were the same type of oak wood with bedside lamps, a vanity set across from the bed. The windows faced the other side of the neighbourhood, and Harry didn’t really like it. He looked at Louis, saw the exact same expression on his face and they closed the door. They moved to the last room, opening the door and Harry immediately fell in love.

He walked further into the room, the full view of the back yard and pool coming into his line of vision. It also had a balcony where he imagined spending the night with Louis, talking about everything and anything while pointing towards the sky. The walls were painted blue, _a beautiful coincidence,_ the nightstands, bed, vanity set, and the closet were all of the same colour – baby blue with golden lines and carvings. And luckily for them, it had an attached bathroom.

“We’re taking this room.” Harry and Louis said simultaneously, giggling as they turned towards each other. The others laughed, forever intrigued with how in sync they were.

“Great! Now that we all have our rooms, let’s unpack and rest for a while. We’ll hit the road again for groceries and sightseeing.” Gemma announced, and they all retreated to their rooms. Louis and Harry put their bags beside the bed, and Harry quickly opened the sliding door, stepping outside. He wrapped the coat around his body tighter as the cold wind blew past him, sending shivers down his spine. He watched as far as his eyes could see, taking in the beauty of the surroundings. The back yard was huge, and there was a swimming pool too. There was a football post, patio, and lush trees barricading the neighbourhood, making the whole place seemed more remote and exclusive.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Harry smiled when he felt Louis’ arm around his waist, leaning towards him, their heads touched together. Harry wrapped his arms around Louis, pressing their sides closer as they watched the scenery.

“Yeah.”

Louis kissed the top of his head, thumb circling his hip and they stayed like that for a while before Louis released his hold. “Let’s unpack our bags and rest for a while, yeah?”

Harry pouted, jutting his bottom lip out. “But it’s gorgeous here.”

Louis chuckled, brushing his curls away and kissed the pout on his lips. “We’ll have plenty of time to admire the view later, baby.”

Harry blushed, nodded and kissed him one more time before walking inside and started unpacking. Louis hummed the melody to _Happily_ , another song Harry wrote, and Harry’s heart swell with so much affection. He smiled as he listened, and when they got to bed, Harry laid his head on Louis’ chest, falling asleep to the sound of Louis’ calming heartbeat.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


They spent the whole afternoon and evening going out, buying groceries, cooking, eating while joking around and walked around the neighbourhood, pointing to the peculiar things the residents had in their yards. By 6pm, they went back, cleaned themselves and stayed in the living room watching movies. They all retreated early, around 9pm, but Harry didn’t want to sleep yet. He followed Louis to their room, fingers intertwined.

“Lou?”

Louis turned towards him. “Yeah, love?”

Harry fidgeted, taking a deep breath, trying to muster his courage. “Can we… um… can we… _talk?_ ”

Louis tilted his head in confusion. “You’re not tired?”

Harry shook his head. “I’m not, but if you’re tired then we… um… we can t-talk t-tomorrow?”

Louis watched him as he played with the hem of his sweatshirt (well, it’s Louis’), sensing that whatever Harry wanted to talk about was important, so he smiled and squeezed his hand, prompting Harry to look at him.

“Of course we can talk, Haz. Come on, let’s get comfortable, alright?”

Harry shot him a small smile, nerves a bit calmed but still high in anticipation. He didn’t know how Louis would react, but he couldn’t back down now. Not when Louis had been so _vulnerable_ before, and had been patient with him, never once pushed him to tell his story. He _trusted_ Louis, so he wanted to tell him, not as a repayment, but because Louis _deserved_ to know.

“On the bed or the balcony?”

Harry weighed his options, glancing back and forth from the bed to the balcony. It was cold outside, so Harry pointed to the bed.

Louis smiled. “Bed it is.”

He tugged Harry to the bed, sitting on it and shifted to the middle, patting the space in front of him. Harry crawled onto the bed, sitting cross-legged across from Louis, shuffling close until their knees touched. Louis took his hands, squeezing them slightly.

“Whenever you’re ready, love.”

Harry took a deep breath. “So, um… first of all, I’m sorry… for taking this long to, um… to talk to you about, uh… about me.” Louis nodded, a smile on his lips to encourage him to continue. “I was 9 when it all happened.”

Louis inhaled deeply. _As young as he was._ “Before that, it was great. My family was happy, but dad was always busy, being a businessman and all.” Harry gazed down at their intertwined hands. “Growing up with Gems, I often found myself getting interested in girls’ stuff – nail polish, flower crowns, and even _dresses._ ” He let out a breathy laugh, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “And I got bullied incessantly because of that. Rough shoves, sneers, name-calling, all in elementary. Gems and the other girls would always come to my rescue as I cried, which only spurred them more but Gems was scary as hell. She had no problems hitting anyone who hurt me, and she did it more times than I’d like to admit.” He shivered, remembering how Gemma would get into fights and their mum got called to school.

“Gems was already in middle school when I was 9, so we didn’t bump into each other much. I kept all the flower crowns and nail polish, and the dresses were sealed away in a box. I tried to be more boyish, wearing black and white mostly, but sometimes I wore some colours, and I played football because that’s what all boys did.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “It was okay, the bullying decreased, but _hell_ descended at home.”

Louis tightened his hold. “My parents started to fight a lot, yelling and screaming, and Gems would hold me in her room, shushing me when I cried and cuddled me until we fell asleep. It continued that way for a while, until one day, _it_ happened.”

Louis noticed that Harry had started to tremble, so he took him in his arms, gently rubbing his back and carding his fingers in his curls. Harry leaned into the touch, his nerves calming down. “I was watching the telly when he came and sat beside me. I tensed, tried to run away but he kept me in place, putting a hand on my thigh with a smile. I was _scared_ , Lou. His smile was _anything_ but kind.” He sniffled against Louis’ chest, and Louis held him closer. “I sat there in fear while he ran his hand up and down my thigh, smirking at me, and it was _horrible._ ”

“From then on, I tried to avoid him, but as the fighting escalated, so did his advances towards me.” Harry let out shallow breaths, the images coming in like movie rolls, trying to swallow him whole if not for the grounding force that was _Louis_. He inhaled Louis’ scent as the boy nuzzled his nose into his curls, the other hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. “He started coming into my room, touching me all over, even went as far as _fingering_ me.”

Louis gripped the boy tighter, his eyes clouded with fury aimed towards the bastard that dared to touch Harry when he was still a young boy, scarring him for life. _Fucking bastard._

“One night, they fought again, something about him coming home drunk and had lipstick stain on his shirt. My mum was furious, and I was scared, so I hid in the bathroom, closing my eyes and ears, knees brought to my chest, silently crying and wishing for everything to stop.” Harry had started to sob, his grips tightening onto the fabric of Louis’ sweater, holding on for dear life. “Gems was… she was… h-he c-came… I-I…”

Louis shifted so he was leaning against the headboard, taking Harry with him until he was laying on top of him, head on his chest. “Baby, breathe for me, okay? I’m here, you’re okay, I promise. No one’s going to hurt you.” He desperately tried to regulate Harry’s ragged breathing, his body shaking terribly as he started hyperventilating. “Listen to my heartbeat, love. You’re safe, it’s just me and you here, baby. Breathe for me. In, out, in, out.” Harry focused to the sound of Louis’ gentle voice, closing his eyes as he tried to steady his breathing, calming down with every beat of Louis’ heart. “That’s it, love. You’re doing good. Keep the rhythm going.”

Eventually, he calmed down, sniffling softly against the wet stain of Louis’ sweater. Louis couldn’t care less because Harry _always_ came first. When he deemed Harry calm enough, he gently pushed Harry just enough so he could look at his face. His heart broke at the sorry sight – eyes red and puffy, nose runny, face flushed, cheeks stained with tears. He wiped away the tears, kissing his forehead. He cupped his face, making Harry look at him, focusing on the piercing cerulean eyes that never failed to tame the raging forest of his.

“Baby, listen to me, okay?” He stared into Harry’s emerald orbs that had turned a dark forest. “You don’t have to tell me everything tonight. It pains you, I know, so we can stop-”

Harry immediately shook his head, bringing his hand up to clasp Louis’. “No, please let me finish, Lou. I _want_ you to know. I just… I just need you to hold me, _please._ ” His tone was pleading, his shiny eyes wet with tears as he looked up to Louis, begging for him to stay. And who was Louis to deny his baby?

He kissed his forehead, taking him into his arms again, rocking them slightly. “I’m here. Always will be.”

He felt Harry nodded against his chest, his arms tightening around his torso. He inhaled deeply. “Gems was out the whole week, for a camp organised by the school. That night, he came into the bathroom, reeking of alcohol, swaying and smirking devilishly as he approached me. I scooted away, trying to escape but he blocked all escape routes, pining me against the wall. H-he p-put h-his p-palm over m-my mouth, ignoring m-my pleas, a-and t-trailed his lips d-down before p-picking m-me up and brought m-me into my room.”

He sobbed harder now, Louis himself had tears pooling in his eyes, hugging him closer.

“He _penetrated_ me, Lou.”

Louis stilled. His movements had halted altogether, breathing heavily as rage threatened to take over his entire being. Harry noticed the change, instantly pulling back to look up to Louis despite his blurry vision. He saw fire flickering inside his irises, the glint emphasised with the moon filtering through the curtain. For once, Harry felt _scared._

“Lou-”

“I’m going to _kill_ him, Harry. I’m going to fucking kill him if I see him.”

He immediately tightened his grip, pressing his face into his chest, head shaking. “No, Lou… please… it’s not worth it.”

Louis pulled back gently. “I don’t care, Haz. He hurt you, and if he dares come anywhere near you I’ll-”

Harry hastily leaned forwards, connecting their lips together in attempt to calm Louis’ rage. Louis widened his eyes, jaws slacking and muscles softening as he closed his eyes and moved their lips in sync. It was slow and gentle, a plea from Harry, and he complied. Harry pulled away, sticking their foreheads together as he stared into Louis’ eyes. The sea within had calmed, leaving only remnants of the washed sand, slow waves dancing through the moonlight.

“Sorry, baby.” Louis brought a hand up, caressing Harry’s cheek. “I got carried away.”

Harry smiled. “I understand, but please Lou, don’t do anything stupid. I can’t lose you.” He gently grasped and squeezed Louis’ hand that was on his cheek, and Louis nodded. “Can I continue?”

Louis reluctantly nodded, so Harry took a deep breath as Louis held him. “That was the first time he thrusted into me, pounding relentlessly and slapping me when I whimpered in pain, telling me to keep quiet or he’ll hurt Gemma.” Stray tears fell down his cheeks, staining the nearly-dried sweatshirt. “So I kept quiet, but most of the time, he would stuff something in my mouth, keeping my whimpers and sobs muffled as he took everything from me.”

“Besides the sexual activities which were recurring, he would also ask me to clean for him, shouting insults at me when I didn’t do things right. Words like _useless, son of a bitch, weak_ were just an everyday thing for me. I accidentally broke the expensive perfume which I assumed was given by his mistress when I was cleaning his office one day, and he gave me hell.” Harry paused. “I was 12.”

Louis inhaled sharply, caressing his curls, eyes straight ahead. “Football was my refuge, an outlet for me to feel normal when I constantly got rammed at home, and things weren’t that good in school either.” Harry breathed in deeply. “When I entered middle school, I joined the team, and I thought my life was finally getting better, but it didn’t.” He breathed out a wet laugh, gripping tighter into Louis. “I found out that _girls_ didn’t entice me, but _boys_ did.”

Louis felt the impending storm coming. He listened closely, arms strained around Harry. “I didn’t experiment like you did, but I had a crush on a boy, he was on the team too. We often practised together with everyone else, but we got along the best among the other boys. We started hanging out more, and he asked me out one day. I was ecstatic, so I accepted and we shared kisses when people weren’t around, but in front of others, we pretended to be pals.”

He felt a tiny flicker of jealousy taking its root deep within, but brushed it away immediately. “It continued like that for a while until he invited me over to his house and I thought nothing of it. After all, we were _boyfriends._ ” There’s a hint of disgust in Harry’s tone. “What started as an innocent talk turned into a heated make-out session, and as he pushed me onto the bed, he went to kiss my neck, one hand trying to unbutton my jeans. I panicked, tried to escape but he was a bit larger than me. I pleaded, asking him to stop but he wouldn’t listen.” Harry sniffled, wild images running through his eyes. “The overwhelming sensation of the kisses on my neck while his hands roamed all over my skin made me _weak_ , my whimpers and pleas went unheard but when I felt his other hand slipping inside my boxers, I saw _red._ ”

Louis tensed. “I quickly yanked his hand away, shoving him as hard as I could and ran all the way home.” Louis felt his chest getting wet from the unfiltered tears streaming down Harry’s cheeks. “I went straight to my room, shed all my clothes and stood under the pouring hot water, scrubbing my body harshly as if it would help to get rid of the invisible, disgusting handprints all over my body. I felt _dirty_ , and I stayed under the water with tears until my entire body was red and bruised from the incessant scrubbing before stepping outside and changed into my pyjamas. I couldn’t sleep, the images of him touching and kissing me replayed over and over in my mind. I felt _betrayed_ , because I was beginning to trust him but he was _nothing better_ than my father.”

Louis had tears in his eyes, falling onto Harry’s curls. “Eventually, I fell asleep, but was woken up by a soft sound of my door being shut. I laid still on my bed under the duvet, heartbeat getting quicker as the footsteps approached closer. The mattress dipped and I immediately pushed the duvet away, only to be faced with my father smirking devilishly, the moon reflecting the pure evil in his eyes. I tried to get up but he pinned me down, blindfolding and gagging me before he had his ways with me.” Harry sobbed, a pitiful laugh escaping his lips. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh?” Louis didn’t respond, just held him closer.

“Back at school, that boy spread the word about me being a _slut_ , claiming that _I_ was the one desperate to get into his pants, and everything went downhill.” Louis tightened his grip, channelling his support, telling Harry that he was still here. “They started calling me names, much like the ones you got, cornering me in the toilet and forced me to _blow_ them and fucked my mouth, shoved me and spat on my face, and eventually, I got kicked out of the team.” Harry clenched his fist, balling Louis’ shirt, fury coating his entire demeanour. “I went home, ignored everyone and thrashed the room, the sound of things being thrown muffled by the thick rug and walls. My father came into the room then, demanding that I be a _good boy_ and forcefully pushed me on the bed. I was fighting hard, the rage and stress overtaking me but he slapped me, unbuttoning my jeans before I screamed and that what was saved me from another rape.”

Harry pulled back, cheeks wet with tear stains, but the look in his eyes told Louis that he had had enough. “Mum and Gems came in, and it was her who took the picture frame and slammed it into his head, making him fall on the floor unconscious. She called the police as my mum wrapped me up, tears falling down her cheeks. I was brought to the hospital, and it was rough.” He sighed. “I had to be sedated or else I would thrash around the bed, screaming and yelling for help as the nightmares visited me. They also tied my wrists to the railings, and it broke my mum’s heart.”

He looked down onto his lap, focusing on his hands that were enveloped in Louis’. “I was prescribed with anti-depressants and I went to see a therapist. It was hard at first, and I didn’t really tell her the whole story, but gradually, with exhausting therapy sessions for two years, I slowly gained myself back, though not fully and completely. And that’s when Mum decided that we moved, hoping that the new environment would help me.”

Louis put his finger under Harry’s chin, prompting him to look at him. When their eyes finally met, Louis’ eyes were searching, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Did it help?”

Harry stared into the gleaming eyes, uncertainty and hope filling the orbs. He smiled.

“More than I thought.”

Louis kissed his forehead. “I’m glad.”

Harry bit his bottom lip. “Um… there was, uh… something else.”

Louis looked at him in confusion. “What else?”

Harry looked down, fidgeting as he played with the hem of Louis’ shirt. Louis grabbed hold of his hands, squeezing it slightly. He took a deep breath before locking eyes with Louis. _He could do this._

“Remember when I lashed out?” Louis nodded. “I went to the toilet after your try-out while you, Ni and Li changed, and when I walked out, I bumped into a senior, probably Josh’s friend.” Louis’ jaw clenched, muscles tensed. “He looked at me with disgust, and then he mocked me for my nail polish, calling me names, even saying the same about you and the boys.” Harry sighed. “I guess the built-up stress from the events of the week got to me, and that was the last straw.” He gazed back to Louis, eyes full of guilt. “I-I’m so sorry, Lou. I-I didn’t mean to-”

Louis brought him into a warm embrace, rubbing his back soothingly as he kissed his temple. “I understand, Haz. You were going through a hard time that week, and I _never_ blamed you.” He pulled back, cupping Harry’s face gently, eyes never leaving his. “You’ve been through so much, love. You’ve been through pain after pain, withstood the bullying, even escaped from your abusive father after years of being stuck in that hellhole, and let me tell you, baby, you’re so _strong._ ” He wiped the tears that fell down Harry’s cheeks, smiling. “You’ve been through _hell_ , and yet you’re still _here_ , still eager to learn and experience the wonders of the world with that big, innocent eyes and an attitude.” He brushed their noses together, eliciting a cute giggle from Harry. “I’m so fucking proud of you, love. No one and nothing can tell you otherwise, and I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll have me.”

Harry launched himself towards Louis, heart swelling in affection for his boyfriend. He heard Louis laugh as he burrowed his face into his neck, the vibrations in his chest resonating against his, sending shivers down his spine. Louis held him tight, a hand caressing his curls while the other rubbed his back, bringing his lips to kiss Harry’s temple softly.

“Thank you, Lou. For holding me and staying.” He muffled against Louis’ neck, warm breath tickling the skin, making Louis shiver. He responded by tightening his arms, nuzzling his face into the wild, springy curls. He carded his fingers into Harry’s hair, gently massaging his scalp, beaming when Harry leaned in to the touch. A yawn escaped his lips, and Louis pulled back a little.

“Tired?”

Harry nodded, rubbing his eyes and Louis cooed at how adorable he looked. He carefully moved down on the bed, taking Harry with him. Harry instantly curled to his side, placing his head on his chest, an arm laying on top of Louis stomach. Louis put an arm on his side, his other arm gently draped over Harry’s on his tummy, gripping his forearm lightly. He kissed the top of Harry’s head.

“Good night, baby. Sweet dreams.”

Harry smiled against Louis’ chest, feeling content in the arms of his boyfriend. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest and shoulders, the dark shadows within him dissipating even more, giving way for the lights to come in and reside there. It would take a long time for the darkness to completely disappear, but he knew he would reach the blinding light one day. For now, he would hold onto the sun right next to him, savouring the warmth and safety provided by Louis.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


The next morning, they were all woken up by Gemma, claiming that they’re going sightseeing so they should start early. Zayn grumbled, considering that he was never a morning person but he wanted to see London in all its glory, so he followed suit. Gemma drove away, bringing five excited lads to the heart of London, where they would meet Gemma’s boyfriend, Michal and officially started the tour. Pleasantries were exchanged, introductions done with, and they set off, opting to walk and rode on the infamous red double decker bus. Their first destination was the Trafalgar Square, and they were in awe with how vast it was. Harry was intrigued with the four lion statues guarding the Nelson’s Column, taking pictures with the statues and of the statues, along with the landmarks around it. There were also live music performances, and they stayed a while to listen and sing along. They then proceeded to The National Gallery, and then boarding the bus all the way to see Big Ben, passing through The Tower Bridge, the stunning River Thames, and even stopping by Central London, just to witness the colloquial area.

Gemma and Michal were excellent tour guides, giggling when the five of them looked at each and every building with awe, asking questions here and there. Harry could feel London inviting him to maybe live here, and he considered for a split second to go into a university in London, probably where Gemma studied. He brushed it off, decided to keep his options open, but after the whole day walking through the streets and taking pictures, he was certain that he’s already falling in love with London and all its historical landmarks. He imagined himself as a university student amidst the busy city, exploring and spending time with friends all around London between classes and assignment, and he found that he quite like the idea. He smiled, eyes taking everything in, keeping them stored in his memory.

“You’re smiling.” Louis nudged him, copying his expression. “Thinking of staying here already?”

Harry whipped his head towards Louis, shocked. “How do you know?”

Louis laughed. “It’s written all over your face, baby.”

Harry pouted before sighing. He really was a mind reader. “I just thought that London’s quite big, and it’s really nice. All these places, they’re pretty and will make great hangout spots or just when I need to unwind.”

Louis looked around, smiling and nodding. “Indeed. It’s a whole new world, and I think you’ll do just great here.”

“You… you don’t want to be here?”

Harry sounded sad, voice lower than a whisper but Louis caught it anyway. He took Harry’s hands, squeezing them slightly, eyes staring right into his. “Of course I want to. Never want to be anywhere without you.” Harry blushed. “I just thought that you’ll fit right in, because these landmarks are just as historical as you.” He winked and smirked, laughing when Harry slapped his arm and they continued their journey hand-in-hand, talking about the things they’d do if they made it here.

Evening rolled around, and as they walked out of a restaurant, Louis pulled Michal aside, whispering something and seemed like they made a pact. Harry watched, heart swelling in fondness as Louis effortlessly wrapped everyone around his fingers.

“I can feel the insurmountable fond emitting from you, H, and it’s so radiant that I want to puke.” Niall voiced out, faking a disgusted look. Harry rolled his eyes.

“You only said that because you’re _single_ , Ni.” He smirked, satisfied when Niall got offended and the others laughed. “I can’t wait to see what happens when you land yourself a girlfriend.”

“You really are becoming more and more like Lou, and I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing.” Niall muttered, a conflicted look on his face. Harry giggled. “Don’t forget that I grew up with Gemma, Ni.”

Gemma immediately stopped laughing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Harry winked. “It is what it is, Gems.”

He ran when he saw Gemma approaching him with a faux-hurt look, laughing as she chased him all the way to Hyde Park, bending his body over his knees. He laughed breathlessly, weakly trying to avoid the soft punches and jabs from Gemma before he hugged her to his side and walked around the park. Gemma kept an arm around his waist, eagerly pointing towards the Kensington Gardens and The Serpentine, telling stories on how Michal would take her here whenever she’s feeling stressed, doing nothing but simply basking under the sun, content with each other. More often than not, they would fall asleep with her head on his lap, him leaning against a tree. They loved the sunset there, seeing the full, uninterrupted view of the bright sun going down, glowing the whole area in orange and pink hues, illuminating the highlights of the park.

The other lads were excitedly listening to Michal’s stories, and Michal was more than happy to feed them with things they wanted to know. He laughed at how enthusiastic they were, and sometimes he felt like he was babysitting five children with Gemma, especially when Louis, Zayn and Niall started to run around and played hide-and-seek, jumping at them and laughing hysterically when Gemma shrieked. They spent the entire evening just chasing each other around, vaguely registering the looks and smiles they received from the others. When they were tired, they sat down across the lake, huddled together in one long line, simply watching the sunset, smiling and taking pictures, the memory forever etched in their minds.

When the moon peeked out, the reflection blurry on the lake, moved by the small waves of the water, glinting like little diamonds, they got up and walked to the open space in the middle of the park. People had already started filling the space, some sitting on blankets, and some opted to just laze around on the cold, trimmed grass. They picked their spot out in the open, talking merrily amongst hundreds of visitors waiting for the countdown to New Year. They even played Truth or Dare, Niall stating that it’s to let go of the past year and starting the new year with fresh resolutions. It didn’t make sense, but they played anyway, because who could deny their Irish friend?

In the midst of the game, a group of three (two girls, one boy) approached them, hugging Michal and Gemma. Michal introduced them as his sister (her name’s Olivia) who looked awfully the same as him, only younger and prettier. Her two friends were Keira and Dean, and the three decided to join them. Harry glanced over to Niall who looked dumbfounded, struck by the greyish blue-eyed beauty that came like an angel sent down to earth. He stuttered as he introduced himself to her, and they didn’t miss the shy giggle coming from the girl.

Harry leaned over to Louis, whispering. “Seems like he got to meet someone, after all.”

Louis chuckled. “Sure did. And look at Gemma.” They glanced over towards Gemma who was watching with amusement. “She looks fucking smug, almost as if she had planned this with Michal beforehand.”

Harry laughed, never doubted that his sister would pull off something like this. She loved playing matchmaker, and she’s quite proud of her ability to bring people together in a lasting relationship. So the ten of them sat in a circle, the game long forgotten, now talking and getting to know the new additions, especially Niall. Harry stifled a laugh when he saw Niall’s eyes never leaving Olivia, taking in everything she said with undivided attention, mentally planning to relentlessly tease him for this.

30 minutes before midnight, Louis and Michal disappeared somewhere, leaving Harry with a forehead kiss and a promise to be back in time. Harry was confused, but seeing that he’s leaving with Michal, he’s not too worried so he turned back his attention towards the group, occupying his thoughts with starting the new year with his favourite people, his anticipation growing by the minute.

Louis and Michal still weren’t back, and it’s only 5 minutes before midnight. Harry had started to worry, and he texted him, but he didn’t reply. He didn’t even read his texts, and he constantly asking Gemma about their whereabouts. Gemma rolled her eyes but checked her phone anyway, opening the text with Michal.

“He said they’re on their way, but got held back by the growing crowd.” Harry sighed. Gemma patted his head. “They’ll be here, don’t worry.”

While Gemma tried her best to reassure Harry’s worries, the countdown had started. Harry panicked, his head snapping from side to side, standing on his tip-toes to spot the mop of brown hair that only belonged to his boyfriend, but in a crowd this big, it was deemed impossible to locate a single human.

“5!”

Harry tried calling, but it went to voicemail.

“4!”

“Gems, where are they?”

“3!”

“I don’t know, Harry. Michal said they’re here, but I can’t see them anywhere.”

“2!”

Harry was on the verge of tears. _Screw this year and new beginnings._

“1!”

Harry was suddenly turned to his side. “What the-”

“Happy New Year!”

Fireworks sparkled beautifully in the sky as a pair of warm lips attached themselves against Harry’s, casting a colourful glow around them, illuminating the whole park with splashes of colours. The park was noisy, but Harry’s ears were ringing as he registered the sensation of Louis’ lips, moving slowly to savour the moment. It took a moment for Harry to _finally_ kiss him back, fluttering his eyes shut, the tension finally leaving his body as he wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck, pulling them closer. Everything went still, the booming sound of the fireworks and the noises around them became nothing more than a gush of cold wind blowing past them. The kiss wasn’t heated, it was soft but passionate, just two lips moving languidly against each other. Harry felt sparks of electricity that sent shivers down his spine, the butterflies erupting in his stomach, warming his whole body amidst the cold weather.

They pulled away slightly, foreheads knocking together as they gasped for air, misty breaths coming out from their mouths. The world moved again, the echoing sound of the fireworks resonating all over the park, cheers and laughter filling the air. They giggled, the whole ordeal seemed funny considering how Harry was literally panicking before his brain shut down at the feel of Louis’ lips.

“Where were you?” His voice barely a whisper, afraid that the intimate moment would be interrupted if he spoke any louder. Louis pulled back just enough to leave a small gap between their bodies, bringing an arm between them.

“In search for this.”

Harry’s eyes zeroed in to the item in Louis’ hand, and he giggled. There, nestled in Louis’ hand was a small bouquet of cheery yellow daffodils, neatly arranged in a paper wrap, tied with a beautiful green and gold ribbon. Louis grinned.

“I searched for the meaning of different flowers just to find a suitable one for a new year, and I found that daffodils symbolise “new beginnings”, and I think it’s perfect, like _it’s meant to be._ ” Louis smiled brightly. “After what you told me last night, I felt like you finally decided to let go of your painful past and start anew.” Harry nodded, not trusting his voice as he felt a lump in his throat. “So I want to give you this, as a significance for your resolution.”

Harry accepted the bouquet, tears pooling in his eyes. He sniffed the sweet, powerful scent that had a tinge of bitter orange wafting from the flowers, intoxicated immediately, reminding them of Louis and his addictive but calming scent.

“Thank you.” Harry smiled against the bouquet. “It’s beautiful.”

He leaned forward, capturing Louis’ lips. He smirked when Louis’ eyes fluttered shut, and he swiftly bumped their foreheads, chuckling when Louis winced in pain, rubbing his forehead.

“What’s that for?”

“That’s for worrying me, idiot.”

Louis laughed, and Harry kept the sound at the back of his mind, into his treasure vault full of _Louis_. “Sorry, baby. My phone died.” He put an arm around Harry’s waist, pulling him into a side hug which Harry gladly curled himself into and kissed the top of his head. Harry realised from the first hug they shared, how they both fit perfectly against each other, like two puzzle pieces, and Harry couldn’t help but sigh in contentment.

They both tuned into their surroundings, watching as the night sky was lit with fireworks forming different patterns, the sparks dancing in the sky. Harry watched as Liam and Zayn cuddled close, eyes twinkling with the reflection of the shooting fireworks, grinning brightly. Gemma laid her head on Michal’s shoulder, simply smiling as it wasn’t unusual for them. Niall and Olivia stood close, talking quietly and giggling occasionally. Harry smiled, his heart felt whole with the presence of the people he held dear, and the squeeze on his side reminded him that this was real, and it’s his reality. Glancing down to the daffodils, he decided on his new year’s resolution.

_He’s going to change his ways and barrelled through life like the strong person he was._

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


On New Year’s day, they continued their tour, this time visiting the Buckingham Palace, taking pictures with the guards. Louis and Zayn tried to tickle them but Liam and Harry quickly pulled them away, and they settled on tickling them instead. They then walked around Oxford Street, visiting the shops that caught their interest just to have a look and stepped out with nothing. Gemma and Michal, along with Olivia who decided to join much to Niall’s delight, brought them to Baker Street, where the famous fictional character Sherlock Holmes lived. They entered Sherlock Holmes Museum, intrigued with his exhibits on display, studying the special architectural and historical features. It especially caught Zayn’s interest, and it was a real work to get him out of there, coaxing him with the souvenir shop for him to buy something to commemorate their visit. That finally did the trick, and Zayn went out a happy boy.

Their last stop was Leicester Square, a pedestrianised square with a little market, live performances and a park at the centre of it. Despite the place buzzing with activities, people walking and cars moving around, the area itself was quite peaceful with breath-taking view. They sat at the park, chatting animatedly as they basked in the morning sun, soft breeze blowing past them. They took a few pictures, candid and formal before they went back to Niall’s vacation house to make lunch, eating together in laughter. After eating, they cleaned the house, putting everything in place, and strutted upstairs to pack their belongings. Harry stood at the balcony, leaning over on the railing, eyes flickering to drink in the magnificent view one last time. He was so lost in the scenery that he jumped a bit when he felt a pair of arms circling his waist from behind.

“Feel reluctant to leave, love?”

Harry smiled, leaning against Louis as he hooked his chin on Harry’s shoulder. “Yeah, it’s been incredible.”

Louis kissed his temple. “We’ll come here again someday.”

Harry turned his head, facing Louis. “Promise?”

He leaned down, capturing Harry’s plump lips in a quick peck. “Promise.”

Harry smiled, and they stood there in the warm embrace for a while before Louis tugged him and went inside, closing the door. They inspected the room, making sure nothing was left behind. Once satisfied, they walked out, hand-in-hand, locking the door and making their way downstairs. Niall was already downstairs, talking with Olivia, and Harry saw them exchanging numbers. He and Louis shared a knowing look, walking quietly to put their bags on the couch. Moments later, Liam and Zayn came into view, along with Gemma and Michal, and they hugged Michal and Olivia, thanking them for their patronage.

“It’s been fun, lads. Looking forward to seeing you again.”

Niall grinned. “Right back at you, Michal.” He turned towards Olivia who had a shy smile on her lips as their eyes met. He approached her, taking her hand and kissed it. “I’ll text you later, Liv.”

Michal raised his eyebrows in amusement, watching as his sister blushed and nodded while the other lads including Gemma cooed and teased Niall, making him blush. They waved each other goodbye, and Gemma drove away happily. They each had different thoughts running in their minds as they left London; Niall thinking about Olivia, Gemma smiling as she got to spend time with her boyfriend and her brother’s amazing friends, Liam and Zayn softly whispering about Zayn’s addiction to Sherlock Holmes, Louis glancing over the window to admire the scenery as he held Harry close, Harry feeling light as his resolve hardened.

When their eyes met, bright smiles plastered on their faces, Harry knew then that they all shared the same sentiment, and they solidified it in a harmonious announcement.

“We’re definitely coming back to London.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it satisfies you, after a full week of my absence.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm back again for a chapter update! I was on a writing spree, but this really is just a transition chapter, so the next ones will take a while to update (maybe in a few days). Thank you for the comments! You lot are lovely xx
> 
> I think I need to clarify some things:  
> 1) While they're still in high school, the angst part won't be as angsty, so I settle with light angst.  
> 2) I'm very unfamiliar with the places in UK, so I'm really sorry if there are inaccuracies, but I'm learning, I promise.  
> 3) This story takes place from when they're 16 until 26 (or more), so it'll be quite a long ride.
> 
> I hope you have a great start of the year, and if you're on a vacation, I hope you have an amazing one! Please be sure to stay safe, wherever you are :) and if you're feeling overwhelmed, please talk to someone you trust because your overall health comes first!
> 
> And with that, I leave you with this chapter :) enjoy! xx

# Bittersweet

### 

Harry thought that Gemma’s driving was insane, but he was wrong.

  


_Terribly wrong._

  


He was sat in the car at the backseat, shocked to the core, unable to move. If you saw him, you’ll definitely say his soul had left his body considering that he was indeed very pale, eyes staring right ahead but they were empty. He didn’t know if his heart was still there; he was sure his heart had jumped out of his body somewhere on the road.

  


Beside him, Niall wasn’t any better. His face was green, and he looked _awful._ His cheeks were puffed out, and he reached out for a paper bag that was conveniently stored in the pouch behind the seat, retching the content in his stomach out, and he instantly regretted having a huge breakfast before getting in the car. The stench wafted in the confined space of the minivan, and Gemma quickly opened the windows to allow the fresh air to travel inside, pinching her nose as the smell dissipated slowly. Zayn and Liam were quiet, not even a single sound coming out from them both. It made Harry wonder if they were still breathing.

  


Luckily, his suspicions backfired.

  


“The fuck you think you’re doing, Lou?!”

  


“Are you trying to kill us?!”

  


The screams made Harry flinch, bringing them out from the trance that they unconsciously fell into. He glanced over to Louis, finding his blue eyes looking awfully guilty as he slowly turned his body.

  


“I’m sorry! I got excited, a-and confused a-at the same time, and-”

  


“You got _confused_?!” Zayn shouted, his voice an octave higher, the veins popping out on his neck, eyes big. “You pressed the fuel pedal when you’re supposed to go slow, and braked when you nearly hit someone’s car! And you even pressed the pedal when you turned at the corner, sending us flying to the side!” Zayn was furious, and it was scary. “What if we got thrown out of the window?!”

  


“That’s the whole point of wearing seatbelts…” Louis mumbled under his breath, but Zayn caught that anyway. He snapped.

  


“Listen here you little shit.” Louis gulped, the colour leaving his face. “Seatbelts or not, with you driving like that, anyone will get killed.” His voice low, venom dripping from every syllable. “When I get my license, I will _never_ let you drive until people deem you’re _stable_ enough to drive.” He stared pointedly towards Louis. “Are we clear?”

  


Louis opened his mouth to protest, but upon seeing the warning in Zayn’s eyes, he slumped in his seat, nodding slowly. “Clear.”

  


Zayn took a deep breath and slumped backwards, crossing his arms against his chest. “Good.”

  


The tension inside the minivan was palpable, and Harry felt suffocated if not for Gemma finally breaking it by clearing her throat.

  


“Right, since we’re here, _safe and sound,_ ” the emphasis on the words made Louis wince. “let’s all go inside and have a cuppa, shall we?”

  


They all hopped out silently, still in some sort of trance after Zayn’s outburst and Louis’ hellish driving. Liam, Zayn and Niall followed Gemma into the house, Niall carrying the paper bag and disposed it into the big bin. Harry stopped halfway, glancing towards the car when he didn’t feel Louis’ presence. Louis was still seated in the minivan, seemingly lost in thoughts as he stared on the road ahead motionless. He stepped closer to the vehicle, leaning against the passenger’s door.

  


“Lou?” Louis remained unmoving, making him worry. “Louis?”

  


Harry furrowed his eyebrows, hand reaching out to gently touch Louis’ hand which was resting on the console. It made Louis flinch and jumped slightly, startling Harry. His scared expression softening when he saw the worried crease between Harry’s eyebrows.

  


“What is it?”

  


“You just sat there without moving a muscle, so I got worried and tried calling you but you didn’t answer me.”

  


Louis chuckled. “Oh, I’m sorry love. Let’s get in.”

  


He opened the door and walked over towards Harry, locking the vehicle before grasping their fingers together, tugging Harry along. Harry nibbled his bottom lip.

  


“Are you okay?”

  


“Yeah, just… taken aback, is all.”

  


Harry wasn’t convinced at all, even more so when Louis kept quiet when everyone else was joking and laughing in the living room, the movie playing on the telly acting as background noise. They were all seated on the floor, Harry in between Louis’ legs, arms draped over Louis’ on his stomach. He felt Louis nuzzling his face into his hair, arms tightening by a fraction.

  


“Lou, how do you feel?”

  


Louis flinched, immediately snapping his head up, meeting four pairs of eyes. Harry looked up too, unsure if he heard their conversation or not.

  


“What?”

  


Niall rolled his eyes. “School has started, remember? So we’re asking how do you feel about our first week, with football and all.”

  


“Oh.” He pursed his lips, thinking of the appropriate thing to answer. “I guess… I’m good? Being able to play in the team… been my dream since forever.” He grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But school still sucks though.”

  


Zayn snorted. “Says the one who practically aced all his classes.”

  


Liam smirked. “Except Arts.”

  


Louis laughed, flipping them both off. “You know I hate that class. I shit at drawing and stuff.”

  


“Seems like that’s not the only thing you’re shit at.” Gemma chirped, sending a small smirk Louis’ way. Louis smiled, albeit forced.

  


“Yeah… I’m sorry about that.”

  


Gemma waved him off. “Nahh, it’s fine. You’re a beginner anyway, you’re bound to make mistakes.” She pondered for a moment. “I remember my first driving lesson with Mum when I was 16. Harry was there.” She turned towards Harry. “Do you remember that time, H?”

  


Harry thought for a moment before he shivered. “I do. And if my memory is correct, it was _amazingly disastrous._ ”

  


Gemma cackled at that, nodding. “It was. I drove much like Louis did, excitement bubbling inside when I first sat behind the wheels. We went to an open, remote place and the moment my foot pressed the pedal, everything went by in flashes.” Her eyes were gleaming. “I yelled so loud, eager but scared at the same time but adrenaline did its job, you know? I barely registered what’s happening because I was too engrossed in getting my hands on the steering and driving around.”

  


Harry shook his head. “It was fun for you, but dreadful for me and Mum.”

  


“Oh shush, Harry, let me finish.” Harry rolled his eyes. “I only heard faint screams and shouts of _“slow down!”_ and _“Gemma, stop! You’re killing us!”_ due to my ears ringing from the exhilaration. And it’s only when I nearly crashed into a tree that everything went to normal again. It was eerily silent in the car, and the quiet surroundings weren’t helping either.” Gemma laughed. “I was grinning so brightly, but Mum immediately burst out in anger while Harry just sat at the backseat, hair dishevelled and shaking.”

  


“I was undoubtedly at a loss of words, Gems, and I’m pretty sure I had tears in my eyes.”

  


Gemma nodded, smiling. “You did. And then Mum took over, and we went home in silence. But she still took me to practice, because it’s not something you can master overnight.” She patted Louis’ head. “So it’s okay, though. You just need practice, and I’m sure you’ll get better by the time you are of age to get your license.”

  


Louis smiled, and this time, Harry saw the genuineness in it. “Thanks, Gems. Even though you put little Harry in danger, and Anne too.”

  


Gemma snorted. “Right back at you.”

  


They all fell into a fit of laughter, and Harry could physically feel the tension finally leaving Louis’ body, the coldness replaced by his usual warmth, spreading all over Harry like wildflowers blooming amidst the cold. He sank further into the embrace, letting Louis’ natural scent washing over him, filling his senses with the smell of _home_.

  


They spent the entire day talking and joking, with Louis rushing back home for a while to grab his siblings as Dan was going to work, and moments later the house was filled with children’s laughter. Gemma, Harry and Liam helped Anne to prepare lunch, while the others sat in the living room, entertaining the children with Disney movies and Gemma’s and Harry’s old toys. Before long, Anne called them over for lunch, and once again, they ate together like a big, happy family, teasing and playing footsies under the table. When the sun set, they all said their goodbyes, the youngest twins lingering a bit, reluctant to leave the family of three as they hugged them tight, prompting Louis and Lottie to gently pry them away with a promise to visit again. They finally let go, waving their tiny hands as Louis and Lottie held them in their arms, disappearing into the streets, back to the comfort of their own home.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Harry, have you grown through the holiday?”

  


Harry stopped walking, turning to look towards Louis incredulously. “Have I?”

  


Louis nodded, assessing Harry up and down. “Our eyes aren’t on the same level anymore.”

  


Harry stared intensely, trying to figure out if Louis was telling the truth. He didn’t notice the difference, of course, and no matter how much he tried to pinpoint it, he just _couldn’t_.

  


“I don’t see the difference.” And that made Louis roll his eyes, grabbing his hand and dragged him to the toilet, standing directly in front of the mirror side-by-side. He nudged towards the mirror.

  


“Look closely.”

  


Harry did, slowly comparing their height, and now that he had a good look, he finally noticed the slight difference. Indeed, he had grown a bit, and while it wasn’t much of a difference, it’s still apparent. “Oh.”

  


Louis looked at Harry through the reflection. “I won’t be surprised if in the next couple of years, I have to look up a bit just to stare into your eyes.”

  


Harry imagined a slightly shorter Louis in a couple of years where he needed to lean down just to kiss him. He grinned, the image looking quite romantic in his mind.

  


“I’m looking forward to it.”

  


Louis rolled his eyes, a hint of fondness in his eyes. “Of course you do.” The bell rang just then, forcing them out of their stupor. “Let’s get to class then.”

  


Louis put his arm around Harry’s shoulder, keeping him close as they walked to their class. They met Liam in the hallway, and the three of them fell into a hearty chatter, acting like long-lost friends even though they met literally every day, and Harry was already so used to it that he could not imagine going to school without his precious friends. Hell, he couldn’t even see a future without them. It looked bleak, dark, and Harry definitely didn’t want that.

  


When the class just before lunch ended, Harry was with Liam, Niall already gone with a promise to get their lunches too. They were talking at the lockers, keeping their books inside when someone deliberately shoved against Harry, sending him backwards a bit, his body hitting the hard metal of the locker door. He heard snickers, so he turned while rubbing his shoulder.

  


“Oops, sorry lad, didn’t see you there.”

  


Harry was frozen in place, dread coming full force. He recognised that face and voice anywhere, the very person who insulted him back when the other boys had their try-outs.

  


“You must be blind then.” Liam shot back, eyes lit with fury, moving in front of Harry, shielding him from the bullies. “Back off, Rick, before I shove this fist right on your face.”

  


Rick and his obnoxious group of friends sneered, unbothered. Rick looked over towards Harry, who had a fearful look in his big, doe eyes, smirking.

  


“Still needing someone to save you, eh?” His smirk grew wider as Harry stayed silent. “Thought so. _Weak._ ”

  


Liam shoved him hard, enough to send him landing on the cold, hard tiles of the floor with a loud thud. Rick’s friends marched forward, fury shown in their eyes but Liam didn’t back down. He was ready to fight when a few pairs of arms held him back. “Let go! I need to teach these fuckers a lesson!”

  


Rick stood up, eyes zeroed in to Liam. “You and your group of friends are _pathetic._ ” He then turned to Harry, voice dripping with mockery. “And you’re the most _pitiful_ among them. Can’t even stand up for yourself. What are you, a _damsel in distress_?”

  


Without warning, a hard punch landed itself right on Rick’s face, making him fall with a groan. He rubbed his nose, shocked when he saw blood smearing his hand and looked up to see a furious Louis being held back by Liam and Zayn. Niall was holding Harry who was still frozen, but somehow aware of their surroundings.

  


“You fucking asshole.” His voice was low, venomous. “You have no right to talk to Harry that way, you fucking piece of shit.” He broke free from their death grips, immediately lurching forward to straddle Rick and gripping his collar tightly. “You’re not _Josh_ , and if he’s no match for me, you don’t stand a chance either.”

  


Rick was struggling to breathe from how hard Louis gripped his collar, his hands flying to grab Louis’ wrists. That only prompted Louis to grip tighter, and with no interference from Rick’s friends, he was getting lost in his anger, failing to notice that Rick’s face is getting paler, gasping for breath. A soft hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality, and he snapped his head towards the source, eyes softening upon seeing Harry’s scared and teary expression.

  


“Lou, stop, _please._ ”

  


He released his grip on Rick’s collar, hearing Rick cough and inhaled deep breaths as to fill his lungs again. He stood quickly, almost losing his balance but composed himself and ran, followed by his disgusting friends.

  


Louis knelt on the floor, eyes never leaving Harry’s. He saw the fear, worry and hesitance in his eyes, one that he had never seen before directed towards him. He shrunk back, eyes filled with guilt and shame as he shakily stood up and ran the opposite direction.

  


“Lou!”

  


Harry tried running after him, but Niall grabbed his forearm, stopping him in his tracks.

  


“No, H. Leave him be.”

  


“But, Ni-”

  


Niall shook his head. “Please, H. He just needs time.”

  


Harry looked over to Liam and Zayn, who shared the same pleading expression while nodding their heads. He then turned towards the direction Louis went, seeing only an empty, long hallway. Zayn patted his shoulder reassuringly, a tight smile on his lips.

  


“He’ll come around, H. For now, let’s go for lunch.”

  


Harry followed them mindlessly, thoughts swirling around Louis. He played with his food, eyes flickering around in hopes Louis would appear somewhere, but was met with disappointment. He sighed, shoulders slumping as he put his fork down, bringing his face into his hands, elbows on the table.

  


“He’s fine, H. Don’t worry.”

  


“How do you know?” Harry snapped harshly, immediately regretting it when the lads raised their eyebrows. _Shit._ “Sorry.”

  


Liam sighed. “Remember the time he punched Josh in the toilet, H?” Harry shivered, not wanting to relive the memory but he nodded. “That was another bout of him giving him to his anger, but it was _only_ Josh, so I could tell him to stop and go to you instead.”

  


Niall nodded. “But this time, it was a group, and you were out of it most of the time until the last moment.” Harry sighed. “Not your fault, H. No one blamed you. We had to hold off his friends, and he was just protecting you.”

  


“He scared you, didn’t he, H?”

  


Harry looked towards Zayn, a look of understanding in his eyes. He slowly nodded. Zayn smiled slightly.

  


“That’s exactly how he was when he protected me from bullies all those years ago. And trust me, it wasn’t pretty.” Zayn reached out, squeezing his shoulder. “He wasn’t even that big, but when he punches, he punches hard. Liam had a taste, didn’t you, Li?”

  


Liam chuckled. “Yeah, and he broke my nose.” Harry’s eyes widened at that, disbelief written in his features. “Before we became close friends, we fought a lot, so yeah, things happened.”

  


“Louis protected me a lot, a fighter is what he is.” They all nodded, seemingly recalling the moments when Louis would step in and fight in a blink of an eye for them. “One particular incident, where he and Liam fought the bullies, I saw the same fury in his eyes, one that said _I will kill you._ ”

  


Harry shivered. “I was scared, back then. Sure, I’ve seen him fight, but I had never seen that deadly look because his eyes are usually so _kind,_ mischievous but warm.” Harry smiled at how true it was. “When he saw the scared look on my face, he looked so vulnerable, his whole body was shaking as he apologised profusely for making me scared.”

  


Liam chimed in. “And that’s why, H, we think he’s feeling the same exact thing as he did back then, only this time, guilt and shame were added. He probably never meant to show that side of him to you, particularly because he didn’t want _you_ to feel scared.”

  


Niall slung an arm around Harry’s shoulder, bringing him in a side hug, and Harry leaned in to the gesture. “So, H, with all that being said, let him be for now yeah? We all know that you associate Louis with feeling _safe,_ so when he did something that contradicted your opinion on him, it’s a bit overwhelming.” Harry blushed, nodding. Niall laughed. “Don’t worry, we’re here, and he’ll be over his shit soon.”

  


Harry just nodded, shooting an appreciative smile towards the boys. “Thanks, lads.”

  


They grinned, quickly distracting Harry with football and homework stuff. They discussed about the nearest football match that would take place a month from now so they’d be busy practicing almost every morning and evening starting next week. Then, they talked about Zayn’s driving practice, and he’s beyond ecstatic to finally apply for a license after his birthday which was in a few days, claiming that he could drive them anywhere when he got it. They cheered at that, already planning their trips and other things they could do. They could see the exact moment Niall’s brain working to include some ‘fun’, and when he grinned mischievously, they knew whatever he had in mind would be _adventurous,_ and with lots of good food.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Louis turned out to be missing the whole afternoon. When they walked back from school, they dropped by his house since Louis left his bag at school in his haste to run. They knocked the door, and Lottie opened it.

  


“Hi!” She looked around, confusion etched on her face. “You didn’t come home with Lou?”

  


Liam frowned. “He’s not home?”

  


Lottie shook her head. “No, he’s not.” Her expression turned worried. “Is he okay? Did something happen at school?”

  


The boys looked at each other, eyebrows furrowed as the worry spiked. Zayn smiled, albeit strained. “He’s fine, Lottie. But don’t worry, we’ll look for him. So go inside and don’t tell everyone else about this, okay?”

  


Lottie slowly nodded, offering them a small smile before going back inside, shooting one last worried glance towards the boys and shut the door. Liam tried calling, but it went straight to voicemail. He sighed deeply.

  


“Now what?”

  


Harry thought of Louis. He definitely wanted to be alone, so he must be somewhere he felt like nothing and no one could interrupt him. And that’s when it dawned onto him.

  


_The park._

  


He snapped his head up, eyes widening. “I know where he is.”

  


Niall quirked an eyebrow. “Where? Let’s go get him.”

  


Harry shook his head. “No. Let me.” He walked backwards. “You lads go home first. I’ll update you later.” Before the lads could protest, he took off running, his sole focus was going to Louis. He sprinted all the way to the park, going past the curious looks and stopped just at the entrance of their secret place. His heart was beating wildly, and he could almost sense Louis’ presence. He didn’t want to get too hopeful so he stepped forward slowly, each step taken felt like striding into an unknown realm, consuming him into the darkness. Only this darkness had a promising light at the end, and it never failed to take his breath away once his feet reached the end of the stone path.

  


He took his time to admire the prairie, the green returning as the snow had slowly melted, leaving only remnants of droplets that glowed majestically under the setting sun. It really was a picturesque view, a hidden gem that remained concealed from the prying eyes, and right in the middle of the grass bed, a few metres across the lake, sat an ethereal being, looking angelic as the sun casted a golden halo around him. Even his back looked beautiful, moving slowly through steady breathing. And once again, Harry was star-struck.

  


He smiled as he paced forwards slowly, careful not to startle him but he knew he noticed from the slight turn of his head. Harry lowered himself on the grass, sitting cross-legged beside Louis who hugged his knees to his chest, eyes staring right ahead, admiring the little sprinkles on the lake. For a while, they just stood there in silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence.

  


“I’m sorry.”

  


It was spoken so low that Harry almost didn’t hear it, but he did, turning his head to look at Louis who still had his eyes fixed on the lake. His side profile is gorgeous, and he could see the lines at the corner of his eye, the one that made its appearance when Louis smiled widely. His ear was cute, and the lack of facial hair added up to his handsome face.

  


“For what?”

  


Louis deeply exhaled. “For losing control.”

  


It sounded _ridiculous_ to Harry, hearing Louis apologised for losing control when he was just protecting him, but like Liam said, he might feel guilty and ashamed as well, the fear in his eyes when they looked at each other was evident, after all.

  


“You were just protecting me, Lou.”

  


“You were scared.” He sensed the crack in Louis’ voice. “I never wanted you to see me in that state.”

  


Harry simply smiled. “Now that I think about it, I think you were hot, being all protective and stuff.” He blushed when Louis snapped his head towards him, eyebrows raised in amusement. “I mean, sure I was a bit scared, but I understand, even more so after what Liam and Zayn told me.”

  


Louis looked nervous. “What did they tell you?”

  


“That you are a _fighter._ ” He smiled as he turned to look at the orange sky. “Z said you were always so protective over him, and you even fought with Liam.” Louis chuckled at that, nodding. “And he had only seen that look on you once, the look that exhibited murderous intent when he got bullied really bad.”

  


Louis sighed, but Harry continued. “I understand, Lou.” He looked at Louis, his expression earnest. “I really do. And I want to thank you for that. It showed me that you _care._ ”

  


Louis slowly reached out, taking Harry’s hands in his, kissing his knuckles, and Harry’s heart burst with affection at the gentle gesture. His eyes followed every movement Louis made, and his heart stopped when the piercing cerulean eyes bored into his emerald ones.

  


“I care, Haz. A lot.”

  


Harry couldn’t move a muscle as Louis’ eyes trapped him in the endless depth of the ocean, drowning him but he felt safe, the tidal wave pulling him gently to the shore, anchoring him to the comforting sand that was Louis’ hand. His breath hitched as Louis leaned forward, the motion agonisingly slow, much to Harry’s dismay, but the annoyance was quickly replaced by the feel of Louis’ lips on his. It was a soft touch, and Louis pulled back but Harry was having none of it. He wriggled his hands from Louis’ grasp, immediately putting his arms around Louis’ neck and capturing his lips in a firm kiss as his eyes fluttered shut, surprising Louis but he responded just as quickly, circling his arms around Harry’s waist and pulling him closer, closing his eyes. He poked Harry’s bottom lip with his tongue and Harry gladly opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. He let out a soft moan when Louis tugged his bottom lip between his teeth, soothing it with a lick before kissing him full on the lips, tongues battling for dominance. Harry’s moans permeated the tranquil area and he pressed his body closer against Louis, moulding their bodies together as the kiss got more intense.

  


Louis was getting hard, but he didn’t want to scare Harry, so he pulled away reluctantly, giggling when Harry let out a whine and tried to chase his lips. He leaned backwards, smiling when Harry pouted, pecking the corner of his mouth before rubbing his thumb over the now swollen lips, eyes staring into the clouded forest heavy with lust. He kissed Harry’s forehead, letting out a soft sigh when he felt his warm breath tickling his throat. He leaned back to see Harry’s eyes had turned to its original colour, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. He lurched forwards, burying his face into Louis’ neck, tightening his hold.

  


“I really like you.”

  


Louis chuckled, returning the same tight grip on Harry’s waist.

  


“I really like you too, baby.”

  


They left their safe haven when the sky was starting to change from beautiful orange and pink hues to purplish blue, indicating that they had been there for a few hours just talking. They had a short reunion with the boys at Louis’ house, with Niall immediately pulling him into a big hug, bombarding him with questions. Zayn flicked his forehead, laughing when Louis flipped him off, and Liam just patted his head, a look of relief on his face. They all went home after dinner, heads light, content smiles on their lips.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


On Zayn’s birthday, they holed up in Liam’s house, decorating and cooking, the delicious aroma wafting all over the house making them drool and had to stop a few times because they were too distracted to put on the decorations. Harry shooed them off, claiming that the kitchen was his and Liam’s space, so no one else was allowed to enter. Louis and Niall pouted, dejectedly walking to the living room to continue their task. By the time Liam and Harry finished cooking and baking, they went to check on the other two boys, bracing themselves because you never knew what would happen when Louis and Niall were together.

  


And that’s precisely why they were surprised. Instead of walking into a huge mess and haphazardly put decorations, they were met with a marvellous sight – clean living room, brightly-lit ceiling, red and yellow scallops adorning the wedges of the ceiling, a huge banner that covered the upper part of the fireplace, red tablecloth with mini decorations in various shapes (geometrical, landscapes, and even their heads with many faces) in yellow glittery and plain papers glued to it. There were even small hearts in yellow and red scattered on the floor starting from the door and ended in the living room. Balloons of all colours were blown and tied onto both sides of the banner, and most of them were floating up on the ceiling. Harry and Liam were thoroughly impressed.

  


“I can’t believe you’re able to pull this off, Lou, Ni.”

  


The two lads who were hanging the scallops simultaneously glanced behind, grinning when they saw the amazed look on their faces.

  


“You had so little faith on us, Li.” Niall tsked, Louis nodding along. “We can at least hang the decorations.”

  


Liam chuckled. “Not my fault when I’ve experienced nothing but _disastrous circumstances_ when it comes to you both.” Louis and Niall had a scandalised expression on their faces, and Harry burst out laughing at that. They both put their hands over their hearts.

  


“How dare you, Li!” Louis shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Sure we’re _a bit_ mischievous,” Liam rolled his eyes at that, the smile never leaving his lips. “but look, everything is so perfectly put up! All thanks to us.” Louis and Niall both winked.

  


Harry nodded, residual laughter falling out of his lips. “It sure is. And it’s wonderful.” He looked around, satisfied with how it turned out. “Thanks lads.”

  


They both gave a thumbs up, resuming the task at hand. When it’s done, they climbed down the ladders and started clearing the space, making room for the celebration to happen. In the midst of cleaning, Liam’s phone pinged, and he quickly took it out from his pocket. He read the text.

  


“Z said he’ll be here in 15.” He stuffed the phone back into his pocket. “And he’s complaining so expect a grumpy Zayn soon.”

  


Louis rolled his eyes. “As if we’re not used to it.”

  


They laughed, agreeing to the statement. Even Harry, who had only known Zayn for a few months could see how grumpy he was, especially if he was woken up so early in the morning. They swiftly cleared the living room, taking the food out to place them on the table before Louis remembered something.

  


“Oh, I almost forgot.” He and Niall looked at each other, a glint of mischief in their eyes. “You might want to cover the food.”

  


“Why?” Liam cocked his head to the side in confusion. Niall grinned.

  


“You’ll see.”

  


Liam was confused, but still went to the kitchen to grab a cloth and covered the food. Satisfied, Louis and Niall distributed party poppers, and without anyone noticing, Louis slipped a tiny device connected to a small cannon placed strategically on the fireplace, hidden by a thin book in his jeans pocket. They untied the curtains and switched off the lights, concealed in complete darkness if not for the little flicker of light filtering through the curtains. Talking in hushed whispers, they waited until the sound of footsteps echoed outside, and the knob was twisted open.

  


“Li, you won’t believe-”

  


Zayn paused at the entrance, furrowing his eyebrows when he saw the darkened house. “The fuck?” He spoke lowly, striding forward in tentative steps. He looked around with the aid of the low light, confused when he noticed the little hearts on the floor. “Li?”

  


He was met with a deafening silence, and as he reached the end of the hallway, he flipped the switch on, eyes wide in surprise when small, colourful papers were shot right to his face.

  


“Happy birthday!”

  


It took a while for Zayn to adjust before he broke into a huge grin, laughing loudly. He hugged them, eyes twinkling with happiness. “Thanks lads!” He looked around the house, the look of awe taking over his face. “These are amazing! Who did it?”

  


“If you’re asking who made these decorations, all of us did it.” Liam announced, walking towards Zayn and pulled him into a side hug, kissing his temple. “But if you want to know who hung everything up, all credits go to Lou and Ni.”

  


Louis and Niall bowed dramatically. “And these food, of course made by me and Harry. We couldn’t trust Lou in the kitchen, and Ni would just eat the food before the party starts.” They laughed at that, while Louis and Niall looked at each other and pouted. Zayn then pointed towards the ceiling where the balloons resided.

  


“And what are those for?”

  


Out of the sudden, all the balloons popped, revealing lots of glittery stars and polaroid photos of all of them together in London. Harry, Liam and Zayn stared in shock, not expecting the surprise. They bent down and took some of the photos, smiling fondly at the memories of spending new year in a new place with their favourite people. They looked over to Louis and Niall who were grinning brightly, without a doubt confirming that they were the ones behind the pleasant surprise. Both of them high-fived when they saw the tears in Zayn’s eyes.

  


“You really outdid yourself this time, Lou, Ni.”

  


Niall shrugged. “We need to get on your good side if we want to be permanent passengers in your car.”

  


They laughed merrily, sending echoes of joyous laughter all over. They kept the polaroid, evenly dividing them among themselves, picking the ones they loved the most. The entire celebration was a success; the previously grumpy Zayn now grinning from ear to ear, animatedly telling them about his registration for his license and how his first lesson went. Liam brought the cake out, and after eating, Zayn opened the presents; art supplies from Harry, a magnificent art décor from Liam, a beautiful alarm clock with a customised background from Niall which he claimed to help Zayn woke up in a good mood, and finally, a collage of photos from Louis, elegantly put together in a large square picture frame in red and gold. He brushed his fingers on the collage, feeling nostalgic at the chronologically-arranged photos starting from him and Louis, and then Liam came along, then Niall, and finally, a big photo of them all together right in the middle.

  


“Lou,” he croaked, sniffling. “I never thought you’re this creative.”

  


Louis snorted. “A thank you would be nice, Zayn.”

  


Zayn laughed. “Yeah, thank you. This means a lot.”

  


Louis nodded and grinned, and they played a few games to spice things up. Zayn felt content, with all his best friends with him on his special day, the ones he was convinced he couldn’t live without. He felt like nothing and no one could tear them apart, because a lifelong bond had been formed since they met, one so strong and thicker than blood. At least that was what he thought.

  


Little did he know, it’s the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is okay as a transition chapter :)
> 
> Feel free to leave comments! xx


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! How's your year so far? Mine has been good, TPWK mv gave me such a good vibe (even though it was released 2 days ago)! Hope you have a lovely start of the year too! If not, I pray that it gets better for you soon :)
> 
> I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took time to read this, even leaving comments, kudos and bookmarking it. I really appreciate all of you <3
> 
> This chapter is the beginning of the distress in their relationship, but like I mentioned in the previous chapter, I keep it between light to medium, as I'm saving the heavy part for later chapters, when they're older. I already have a few ideas, but for now, I'll give you this!
> 
> Stay safe everyone! xx

# Rift

### 

The first rift in their relationship came not long after their football team started training. Don’t get him wrong, he loved seeing Louis in his element, and he stayed back with Zayn to watch them practice every day. It was always a pleasure for Harry, to be exclusively allowed in those practices, watching as the jersey clung to Louis’ sweaty body, highlighting his curves, and the way his bum looked absolutely _sinful_ in those shorts.

  


Okay, not just _that_.

  


Harry loved observing the way Louis ran all over the field, dribbling the ball and tackling other players in attempt to steal the ball, and he adored the bright grin on his face with crinkles at the corner of his eyes when he scored a goal or when he’s celebrating with his teammates. He loved that every time he made a goal, he would look up and smiled to the sky, as if his mum was watching and smiling proudly at him. It clenched his heart, since he would never had survived if he was in Louis’ shoes. And he’s outright weak in the knees whenever Louis turned to look at him in between plays, winking and blowing kisses which he captured and put his hand on his chest.

  


They’re so fucking _cheesy_ , but Harry loved it.

  


Zayn, who had been silently watching their interaction made a gagging noise. “You both are so whipped it’s gross.”

  


Harry glared at him. “Shut up, Z. Don’t think I didn’t notice your heart eyes towards Liam while he was running around.” He smirked. “And your cheers were so loud anyone could hear it.”

  


Zayn nudged his shoulder slightly, laughing. “As if you didn’t.”

  


They both chuckled, silently agreeing to the sentiment. Harry was glad that Zayn didn’t join the team, or he would be alone and he wasn’t sure if he would be there if he’s all by himself.

  


“I’m glad you didn’t join the team, Z.”

  


Zayn turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in confusion. “And why is that?”

  


Harry smirked. “Or else there’s no one I can be sappy with.”

  


Zayn laughed out loud, attracting the attention of the team. They looked at them with raised eyebrows, but Zayn just waved them off and they continued the practice. By 6, the sky was painted with beautiful purple and orange hues when they finally ended the session. Harry and Zayn hurried to the locker room, waiting outside for their boyfriends (and Niall). When they walked out of the room, Harry quickly launched himself towards Louis, making him stumble backwards but luckily Liam caught him, chuckling at how happy Harry was.

  


“You’re amazing.” He breathed out for Louis’ ear only, smiling wide when Louis’ laughter reverberated against their chests, tightening his arms around his neck. He felt Louis’s arms around his middle, swaying them a bit before he planted a soft kiss to Harry’s temple.

  


“Thank you, baby, but I’m not the only one.”

  


He pulled away, grinning before turning to see the other three smirking at them. “Don’t worry lads, you both were spectacular as well, especially the way Niall tackled the player and kicked it straight to Liam before he scored the goal.”

  


Niall beamed. “Glad you saw that, H! Thought we were nothing but the air in the background while you drooled over Lou.”

  


They laughed when Harry blushed, but the he smirked. “What can I say, he’s _hot._ ” Louis laughed at that, while the other boys made disgusted faces. “But, we can’t live without air, so you just stated your importance, Ni.” He winked.

  


Niall sniffled dramatically, bringing him into a hug. “Since when have you become such a sap, H?”

  


“He watched _rom-com_ for God’s sake Ni, of course he’s a huge sap.” Zayn chirped, earning a slap on his forearm from Harry.

  


“Please, Z, you’re not much better. I literally saw your eyes shine when Liam-”

  


He quickly dragged him away, walking towards the exit. “Okay that’s enough of you. Let’s go home.”

  


Liam smirked. “Oh, please, H, tell me _more._ ”

  


Harry wanted to respond but Zayn clamped his mouth with his hand, muffling any syllable that fell out of his lips. He licked his palm, and Zayn immediately pulled his hand away, scrunching his face in disgust. Harry laughed before running back to Louis’ side, tangling their fingers together while Liam tucked an arm around Zayn’s shoulder, chuckling. Niall stood between the pairs in a straight line, merrily talking and joking around as they walked to the school gate.

  


“Louis! Wait!”

  


A high-pitched squeal halted them of their movement, instantly turning around to find a group of three girls running towards them. Harry recognised the girls from the cheerleader team, especially the brunette in the middle. _Elise_ , if he’s not mistaken. _But why was she shouting Louis’ name?_

  


The girls stopped right in front of them, Elise looking at Louis with bright, shiny eyes and a seductive smile on her lips. “Hi Louis.”

  


Louis hesitantly smiled. “Um, hi?”

  


She snatched the hand Harry was currently holding, grasping it firmly. Harry widened his eyes, turning to look at Louis who had a surprised and slightly annoyed expression on his face. He then turned to look at the girl again just to receive a smirk.

  


_Rude._

  


She smiled sweetly towards Louis, unbothered with Harry’s clenched jaw and Louis’ irritated gesture. “You were amazing in the field, Louis! I watched you and I just couldn’t take my eyes away.” Harry felt his jealousy rising because really, _who allowed her to watch his boyfriend?_

  


“Thanks.” Louis said simply, trying to slowly pulled his hand away but Elise just gripped tighter, much to Harry’s annoyance. “Um, sorry, can you let go?”

  


Elise paid no mind to Louis’ request, instead, she leaned forwards to whisper into Louis ear. “I leave you with my number, so give me a call, yeah?” She made a show of kissing Louis’ cheek before winking and sauntering away with her friends, giggling. The boys were stumped; the whole scene too overwhelming to comprehend.

  


And yeah, Louis had fans since he started playing for the team, and Harry _hated_ that.

  


“What’s her deal?” Niall asked, his tone annoyed. “Does she think everyone will _bow_ at her feet or something?”

  


Louis made a disgusted noise, vigorously wiping his cheek as if the kiss burned him. “I swear cheerleaders are always so full of themselves, getting all high and mighty thinking everyone will bow at a simple wink.”

  


Zayn shrugged. “I can wink better, though. I’ve got model features anyway.”

  


Niall laughed. “You sure do, Z. You just have to bat your eyelashes and pose a bit, I’m sure everyone will go gay.”

  


Liam casted him a scandalised expression. “Don’t even joke about it, mate.” He hugged Zayn while still looking at Niall. “He’s _mine._ ”

  


Niall and Louis laughed harder, while Harry still had an annoyed look on his face which didn’t go unnoticed by Louis. He snaked an arm around Harry’s waist, and no matter how hard he wanted to shy away from the touch, his heart betrayed him so he leaned in to the gesture, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

  


“What’s wrong, baby?”

  


Harry brought his arms up, circling Louis’ torso. “I don’t like her.” He mumbled into his neck, warm breath sending shivers down Louis’ spine. He chuckled, kissing the top of his head while Niall, Liam and Zayn argued about Zayn’s possible modelling career.

  


“Well, guess what?” Harry looked up a bit, entranced by the navy blue eyes and his dazzling smile. “I don’t like her either. Plus, you have curly hair and emerald eyes that intrigued me to no end, so there’s no way I’m choosing her over you.” He giggled when Harry blushed crimson, caressing his cheek. “I’m yours, Hazza. Always.”

  


That made Harry grin so bright it rivalled the sun itself. They left the school grounds with happy smiles, laughter filling the air. Niall’s phone rang, prompting the boys to stop talking when Niall abruptly picked up, his smile growing.

  


“Hey Liv! How are you?”

  


The four of them cooed, revelling on the blush coating Niall’s cheeks as he tried to shush them. They were having none of that, of course.

  


“Hi Liv! You okay there?”

  


“Liv! Niall did so well in practice today!”

  


“He fell on his face and it was hilarious!”

  


“But he’s still cute, don’t worry!”

  


He blushed harder, closing the screen with his palm and mouthing “shut up” but Olivia was laughing on the other side, and the boys grinned. Niall decided to walk further ahead, hoping to resume their conversation in peace, smiling giddily as the boys left a huge gap between them, smirking in silence.

  


“Alright, goodbye Liv. I’ll text you later.”

  


“Bye Liv! See you when we see you!”

  


They heard a soft giggle and a _“bye boys!”_ before Niall hung up. He turned towards them, rolling his eyes at the smirks he received.

  


“You love embarrassing me, don’t you?”

  


Louis grinned. “You love teasing us, Ni, it’s only fair.”

  


The other boys nodded, and they lurched forward, ruffling Niall’s hair and hugging him before he wriggled away and ran, causing them to chase after him. Their laughter resonated in the fairly tranquil neighbourhood, earning looks but they couldn’t be bothered. They were too caught up in the moment to care.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


If the incident after practice was annoying, the scene playing in front of him was beyond _infuriating._

  


Harry was stuffing his books inside his locker when he heard angry stomps followed by a whiny voice. He looked to the direction of the entrance, finding that other students were watching as well, and the sight he was met with made his blood boil.

  


“Louis, wait, please!” Elise was trying to hook her arm with Louis, but he swiftly avoided it, his expression angry as he walked ahead. “Louis!”

  


“What do you want, El?”

  


Louis was desperately trying to control his anger, but his voice boomed across the hallway anyway. The students halted their gossip sessions, eyes fixed on them.

  


“What do you say if we hang out a bit after school?” She smiled alluringly, blinking and batting her fake eyelashes in hopes that Louis would take the bait. “You know, to _get to know each other._ ”

  


Louis let out a heavy exhale while rolling his eyes. “No. I’d rather hang out with a group of monkeys than with you.” He bit back a smirk when Elise widened her eyes, clearly offended. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have classes to attend, and a school to _graduate_ from.”

  


His remark earned loud gasps from the students in the hallway, and he turned before Elise grabbed his arm again, her expression turning desperate. Louis shook his arm away, this time not bothering to control his fury. “What now?”

  


Louis’ usual gentle tone gone, replaced with deep ire as he stared coldly at Elise. She squirmed under his hard gaze, nibbling her bottom lip.

  


“Um, will you at least walk me home?” She tried another trick, which usually worked on other guys, but not Louis. Louis wasn’t a fool.

  


“No.” Louis’ response was immediate, shocking everyone, but Harry smirked. “Don’t you have _toy boys_?” His eyes glinted with amusement as Elise’s face paled, but he wasn’t smiling. “Go ask them.”

  


Elise instantly hugged Louis, burying his face against Louis’ chest. “I don’t want them, Louis! I just want you!” She looked up, tears in her eyes. “I’ll ditch them for you, Louis. I promise. So please give me a chance.”

  


Harry had had enough. He didn’t know where that courage came from, but what he did know, he _despised_ that girl who was hugging _his boyfriend_ shamelessly, trying to lure him with her fake tears so he marched forward to their direction, forcefully tearing them apart, startling both Elise and Louis. He stood between them, his eyes shrouded with anger as he stared Elise down.

  


“Stop throwing yourself at _my_ boyfriend.” His voice was low, venomous. Elise looked genuinely scared, trembling slightly. “He said he _didn’t_ want to walk you home, which part of his perfectly spoken words that you didn’t _understand_?”

  


Louis watched the scene unfolding before him with pride, smirking as Harry stepped closer to Elise, causing her to stumble a bit but caught herself. “Your _fake tears_ and _empty promises_ won’t do shit to him, Elise. He’s _mine_ , and only _I_ get to touch him.” He glared coldly at her. “So fuck off and go get your hands into someone else’s _pants._ ”

  


In the far corner, Harry could faintly hear cheering from his friends. He felt a surge of pride inside him as Elise only looked between him and Louis before scurrying away with a loud huff and a beet red face. The laughter ringing from behind him was what brought him out of his fury, quickly turning around to find Louis bending over his stomach and their friends circling them. Niall patted his back, laughing.

  


“You were an absolute menace, H, and I’m so proud of you.”

  


Liam chimed in, chuckling in amusement. “Yeah, and you managed to shock the _entire_ school.”

  


Harry finally looked around, eyes wide in horror and embarrassment as their schoolmates stared at him in awe, and he felt his chest constricting from the attention. He felt _suffocated_ ; the eyes felt like they were judging him harshly, waiting for his most vulnerable state to appear to _devour him whole_. His breathing became ragged and shallow, and he started panicking.

  


“H? You okay?”

  


Harry only heard ringing in his ears, unable to respond to Zayn’s question. His vision was blurred; he was on the verge of hyperventilating before he was engulfed in a warm embrace. He tried to escape but upon hearing the soft, gentle tone whispering reassuring words into his ears, he slowly calmed down.

  


“You’re okay, love. I’m here.”

  


He focused on the low, calming timbre of Louis’ voice until his heartbeat slowed, his breathing returning to normal as he gripped Louis tighter, drinking in his familiar scent. Louis pulled back, cradling his face gently as a smile adorned his delicate face.

  


“Hi love.”

  


Harry shakily smiled. “Hi.”

  


Louis grinned so bright Harry felt like even the dark couldn’t contain the radiance and warmth it offered. He felt Louis squeezing his hand before tugging him away to class, the other three acting as protective shields as to not want to overwhelm Harry anymore from the unwanted attention, something that Harry truly appreciated of.

  


The rest of the day went by without any more disturbance, but as Harry and Zayn climbed the stairs to sit and watch the practice, Harry felt like someone was watching him so he glanced around, finding Elise glaring daggers at him. She was on cheer practice as well, and Harry tried his best to return the same hard glare, not breaking off contact until Elise looked away, pure hatred on her face.

  


He was certain that Elise wasn’t done yet, and he was dreading of what’s going to come.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


As Louis, Liam and Niall got more occupied with practice since their first match was just around the corner, Harry was getting more anxious for so many things. For one, his suspicions were proven true when Elise lingered by after school just to wait for Louis so they could go to practice together. Not just that, immediately after seeing Louis, she practically shoved Harry away and clung to Louis’ arm, which of course Louis batted away. She didn’t care, though. If anything, she was spurred by it, leaning against him as she talked about her day, forcing Zayn to yank her away and dragged Louis to the field, ignoring her shouts of protests.

  


One day, they were all in the library, studying and doing homework when Elise came out of nowhere, taking an empty chair and slumping herself beside Louis. Louis was completely irked, instantly standing up and gathered all his things before leaving, dragging Harry along. Harry glanced over his shoulders, smirking and mouthing _“mine”_ towards Elise, satisfied when he saw the enraged look on her face. Louis didn’t look back, not even once, simply dragging Harry to the all-too-familiar path he had memorised by heart. They sat at their usual place, silently enjoying the soft waves and the gentle blow of the wind. Louis sighed heavily, and Harry could visibly see the tension seeping out of his body.

  


“She really is a pain in the arse.”

  


Harry nodded while Louis groaned. “I’m so tired of her shit, and no matter what I do, she’s just so persistent and it’s so fucking annoying!”

  


Harry watched as Louis’ face contorted in anger, the exhaustion evident in his voice and features. He sympathised with him, really. Practice was getting more time-consuming, classes went on as usual, homework was piling up, and Louis still had to babysit when Dan went to work. Luckily, Anne took pity and forced Louis to bring them to her house which relieved him immensely. More often than not, Louis and his siblings stayed over at Anne’s house, and he tried to apologise, only to receive a soft glare and a comforting hug, reassuring him that she loved having the children around, and the sentiment was returned when they all were always so excited to be with Anne, especially the youngest twins. Gemma came home twice a month as well, claiming that talking with Louis’ siblings over FaceTime wasn’t enough so she needed to be home. Harry pouted at that, but Gemma ignored him. _Rude._

  


While that took some burden off Louis’ shoulders, he still had to deal with Elise, and with the current captain aiming for him to be his successor, he needed to up his game so he really didn’t need the extra interference.

  


“Why is she so into you now? She was here all along, wasn’t she?”

  


Louis sighed. “I wasn’t in the team before, and her standards were always the jocks or the snobbish rich students. I was out of radar, and everyone knows about her history with guys.” He threw a pebble into the lake. “We shared some of the classes, and trust me, I didn’t enjoy it one bit.” He rolled his eyes. “She first noticed me when I was playing football with Liam and Niall, but at that time, she wasn’t this persistent, and she backed off when I told her I’m not interested. But she always gave me looks, and I _nearly_ got into a fight because of her.”

  


Harry scrunched his face in disgust. “She must be feeling proud.”

  


Louis nodded. “Someone accused me of trying to sleep with her, and her boyfriend at that time approached me, warning me to stay away which I gladly complied, but you know me, I love to sass.” Harry giggled at that. “So I sassed a bit but he took it seriously and we almost exchanged blows before she came and pleaded with him. I gave them the middle finger and walked away, thought it was settled then but apparently not.”

  


But something still didn’t sit right with Harry. He wondered, _why him? Why not Liam, Zayn and Niall as well?_

  


“I know what you’re thinking.” He smirked, bringing his hand up to ruffle Harry’s curls lightly and quirking his eyebrows when he leaned in to the touch. _Like a kitten._ “She tried with Ni too, but Ni was too far interested in football and food to care so he mostly ignored her.” Harry giggled. “Liam, with his physique, of course El wanted to have a taste, but Zayn was quicker. He would always latch onto Liam, no matter how sweaty he was and went to complain afterwards when El was out of sight.” They both chuckled. “And Zayn is fiercely protective of what’s his, and he made sure El knew. Eventually, she gave up and met someone else, and we were free.”

  


Harry frowned. “But now, she’s aiming for you again.”

  


Louis looked up, sighing. “Heard that she broke up with her boyfriend, and wanted a _long-term_ relationship this time.” He rolled his eyes. “Same old story.”

  


They both stayed silent afterwards, letting the gentle wind blew past them. Harry thought of their relationship, and how Elise tried hard to take Louis from him. He was sure that she would strike again, from the glare he received at the field but he wasn’t going to back down. Louis was _his_ , and he was certain that Elise just wanted to use Louis as a mean to gain more popularity. That made him angry, and he subconsciously reached over to Louis, hooking his arms around his shoulder and staring right into Louis’ eyes with renewed vigour.

  


Louis was a little shocked when he saw the fire in Harry’s eyes. His emerald eyes were now burning, the forest within in a raging flames without knowing the cause. He hesitantly put his hands on his hip. “Haz?”

  


“You’re _mine_ , Lou. No one can take you away, especially _Elise._ ”

  


Louis gulped at the change in Harry’s demeanour, his voice turning deeper than it ever was, sending cold shivers down his spine. However, despite the brazen possessiveness he exhibited, Louis saw the insecurity buried deep in his eyes, one that told him _please don’t leave_. Louis carefully caressed Harry’s cheek with his hand, thumbing on his cheekbone, beaming when Harry closed his eyes and leaned in to the touch. He kissed his forehead, leaving his lips to linger as he spoke, as gentle as ever.

  


“I’m yours, Hazza. I promise.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Hey!”

  


Harry groaned as he heard the one voice he wished he could mute. He closed his locker and turned the opposite direction, wanting to meet Zayn and then watch the other lads in practice. His irritation spiked as the loud stomp of her shoes echoed across the empty hallway, quickening his pace.

  


“Stop right there, dickhead!”

  


Harry didn’t stop, but a tight grip on his forearm caused him to whip his head around and yanked his arm away. Elise was glaring at him, and he glared right back.

  


“I don’t have time for your bullshit, Elise, so I’d appreciate it if you shut your mouth and leave us alone.” He made to turn but Elise grabbed him, making him grit his teeth, hissing. “What?”

  


Elise scoffed. “Listen, I don’t care if he’s your boyfriend or not, because in the end, he will be _mine._ ” She emphasised every syllable, and Harry rolled his eyes. _Delusional._ “Louis deserves to be with someone who’s far more… _expressive_. Someone with a charming personality to match his magnetic self.” She looked at Harry up and down, disgusted. “Not someone like _you_ who relied on others to save him.”

  


Harry’s eyebrows raised in amusement. “So you think you’re _charming_ , and you’re fitting for him?”

  


Elise proudly nodded. “I draw attention wherever I go, Harry. I just have to flash my best smile and people come at me willingly. I charmed them with my smile, my looks, and obviously my cheerleading skills.”

  


Harry snorted. “Yeah, sure. That’s how you got the other guys to _satisfy_ you.” He smirked when Elise’s smile faded. “I hate to break this to you, but Louis will _never_ bow to you.” His voice turned deep. “He’s _my_ boyfriend, and I won’t hand him over to anyone, especially to someone like _you_ , because you will only taint his angelic personality.”

  


Elise stepped closer, voice dripping in venom as she held his glare. “And what about you, Harry? From the way I see it, you are nothing but a _charity case._ ”

  


Harry’s blood ran cold. His smirk faltered, his eyes giving away hints of uncertainty, in which Elise smirked triumphantly. She leaned closer, lips closing in to the outer shell of his ear.

  


“You can’t even defend yourself, even though you’re a _boy_. Always needing the other boys to help you out of situations, don’t you?” Harry felt the growing smirk on Elise’s lips as she continued to whisper. “And I’ve heard about your panic attacks. You _poor thing_ , no wonder Louis protects you so much, but I overheard that he said he’s _tired_ of dealing with your panic attacks.”

  


Harry’s thoughts were buzzing with vile voices, screaming inside him. _Charity case. Useless. Poor thing. Burdensome._ He tried to shut them out before registering Elise’s last statement.

  


_Louis was tired of dealing with his panic attacks._

  


“No… that can’t be true…”

  


Elise backed away, a satisfied smirk on her lips when she saw Harry crumbling right in front of her eyes. She patted his shoulders. “Poor baby Harry, huh? The one person he believes to take care of him is _already_ tired.” She chuckled darkly. “Have fun seeing him in practice.”

  


She flipped her hair and skipped away, humming a cheery tune. Harry had tears in his eyes, astounded with the revelation from Elise. His chest hurt, his mind creating chaotic messes as he replayed Elise’s words. _Louis was tired._

  


The rational part of his brain told him _Louis wasn’t tired, he never would, Elise was just trying to get to you,_ but the darker part laughed at him, echoing _of course he was tired, look at your pathetic self, who would stay long enough to deal with your never-ending panic attacks?_

  


As the voices in his mind fought for dominance, his heart clenched tightly in his chest, the overwhelming emotions taking over his entire body. Tears cascaded down his cheeks, tiny whimpers falling out of his lips as he shakily turned and sprinted away, bumping into people but he couldn’t care less, he needed to escape into the comfort of his own room. Anne wasn’t home, a small thing to be thankful of so he could cry his heart out without any interference.

  


He thought of Louis; his smile, his gentle voice and gestures, his smell, his tender touches, his piercing cerulean eyes that took his breath away, his warm lips as they kissed, everything. His tears fell without restrictions, and he buried his face into the soft pillow, uncaring of the wet stain. Before he completely succumbed into his exhaustion, there was only one thought swirling in his mind.

  


_He was never good enough for Louis._

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Tomlinson! Pull yourself together!”

  


The coach’s shout broke him from his trance, and he nodded apologetically as he tried to focus in practice. As he ran around the field, he couldn’t help but glance at the seat which was usually occupied with Harry, only now Harry was nowhere in sight. His worried eyes skated towards Zayn who was looking around frantically before looking back at him with a shake of his head. His heart was beating fast, his concern rising as he made an attempt to score but failed miserably. Luckily, the coach blew his whistle, indicating the end of practice. He sighed, turning to run before his name was called.

  


“Tomlinson! Come here!”

  


He groaned lowly, jogging towards his coach who had a stern look on his face. “Yes, Coach?”

  


Coach Morrison studied him carefully, and Louis squirmed under his heavy gaze. To his surprise, Coach Morrison sighed. “I noticed you’re not at your best today, Tomlinson. Why?”

  


Louis bit the inside of his cheek. “Nothing, Coach. Just feeling lightheaded. I’m sorry.”

  


“Don’t think I didn’t see you glancing over to the seats every now and then when you were playing, Tomlinson.” He spoke gently, though Louis could hear the scolding in his tone. “One of your friends wasn’t there, and you were distracted because of it.”

  


Louis nodded slowly. “Yes, Coach. I’m really sorry. I’ll play better next time.”

  


He put a hand on Louis’ shoulder, squeezing it gently. “You better be, Tomlinson. You’re one of the best players the team has ever had, so I really need you to focus. You’re a star, Tomlinson, so whatever your problem is, please settle it quickly yeah?”

  


“I will, Coach. Thank you, and I apologise for today.”

  


Coach Morrison nodded before leaving, and Louis sprinted to the locker room, cleaned himself and changed his clothes. He found his friends at the parking lot, rushing towards them. He nearly stumbled on his feet, but managed to catch himself, eyes darting over to the three.

  


“Any news on Harry?”

  


They shook their heads, expression glum and worried. “I tried calling, but it went to voicemail.” Niall said, picking up his phone to try again. After a few seconds, he shook his head. “Voicemail again.”

  


“Did something happen before, Z?” Liam asked, eyebrows furrowing. Zayn shook his head.

  


“He was fine the last time I saw him. He told me to go on ahead, saying that he’d meet me soon since he needed to go to his locker. I offered to go with him, but he waved me off.” He ran a hand in his hair, frustration evident in his voice.

  


“Let’s go to his house. I bet he’s there.”

  


The boys nodded, walking quickly towards Harry’s house. Anne’s car was in the driveway, and they sighed in relief, knocking the door. Anne opened the door, beaming when she saw the boys.

  


“Hello boys! How was practice?”

  


Louis gave her a tight smile. “It went fine, Anne, thank you for asking. But, um, is Harry home?”

  


Anne nodded. “Yes, he’s in his room, but he doesn’t look too good, Lou.” She furrowed her eyebrows, concern etching on her face. “Did something happen at school?”

  


Liam chirped in. “We don’t know, Anne. He was supposed to watch us practice like always, but he wasn’t there so we got worried. He didn’t tell us anything either.”

  


Anne was getting more worried, so Louis quickly held her hand. “Anne, can we see him, please?”

  


Anne nodded, stepping to the side to allow the boys inside. As Louis walked past her, she gently reached out and grab Louis’ forearm, making Louis turn to face her.

  


“Lou, he’ll talk to you, so I think it’s better if you go up there alone.”

  


Anne eyes and tone were pleading, and it broke Louis’ heart. He nodded, squeezing her hand gently, turning to the other boys who just nodded.

  


“It’s okay, Lou. We’ll wait here.”

  


He gave his bag to Zayn, striding in big steps to Harry’s bedroom. He paused in front of the door, hand around the doorknob. His heart was racing, so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slowly turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.

  


“Hazza?”

  


The room was dark, all source of light being shunned, but he could make out Harry’s curled up figure on bed from the dim light of the hallway. He heard soft sniffles, and a head peeked out from the duvet.

  


“Lou?”

  


His voice was strained and hoarse, which Louis was certain that he had been crying. He closed the door and immediately walked to the bed, sitting beside Harry. He wanted to cry at the sight of a very dishevelled Harry; eyes and nose red and puffy, curls sprawled wildly on the pillow, and his cheeks were tainted with tear stain.

  


“Hazza, what happened?”

  


Harry didn’t say anything, instead, he bolted from the bed and hugged Louis tightly, burying his face against his chest, and Louis could feel fresh tears flowing down his cheeks, staining his shirt. He cradled Harry’s head with one hand, the other rubbing his back soothingly.

  


“Hazza, baby, please tell me what happened.”

  


“D-do y-you t-think I’m a b-burden t-to y-you?”

  


That question shocked Louis to the core, and he swiftly but gently pushed Harry a bit, hands instantly cupping his face tenderly. HIs tears fell freely like waterfall, the shine in his eyes gone, replaced with so much insecurity and doubt.

  


“Haz, love, listen to me.” Louis stared into his eyes. “You’re not a burden. Never.”

  


“T-then w-why d-did Elise say I-I’m a c-charity c-case?”

  


Louis widened his eyes. “What?”

  


Harry was shaking vigorously, his face reddening at how much he was crying. “S-she s-said I-I’m a c-charity c-case, a-and y-you were t-tired of d-dealing with m-my p-panic attacks.”

  


Louis quickly shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. “Baby, no, she’s _wrong._ ” Harry shook his head but Louis kept him in place. “Hazza, please, look at me.” He waited until Harry opened his eyes slowly, wanting Harry to see the sincerity projected in his eyes. “You are _not_ a charity case, baby, and I’m definitely _not tired_ to deal with your panic attacks. In fact, I’m so fucking proud that you _need_ me whenever you have your attacks.” Harry focused on the ocean eyes in front of him, eyes so earnest it _hurt._ “What she said was wrong, baby. She doesn’t know you the way I do, and trust me love, I would spend a lifetime helping you through your attacks if you let me.”

  


Harry cried harder at that, hands gripping Louis’ side tighter. Louis winced, but he didn’t care. He continued talking to Harry. “You’re _my_ baby, Hazza, and I _will_ take care of you regardless of your panic attacks or any other flaws you have, no matter what people say, especially Elise’s words.”

  


Harry didn’t trust his words, but he was so immensely grateful for Louis that he lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck, catching Louis by surprise. He hugged Harry with the same strength, nuzzling his nose in his curls, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla.

  


“Please _stay._ ”

  


Louis kissed the top of his head. “I’ll be here.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


After tucking Harry in, he walked downstairs, finding the boys in the living room sitting solemnly with Anne. Upon hearing him, they all snapped their heads towards him, worry written all over their faces. Louis took a seat beside Anne, sighing deeply.

  


“How was he, Lou? Did he tell you anything?”

  


He clasped his hands, leaning forwards and putting his hands on his knees, a serious mixed with anger expression on his face. “It’s Elise.”

  


The other boys groaned loudly, muttering curses under their breaths. Anne looked at them in confusion. “Who’s Elise? What did he do to Harry?”

  


“She’s in cheerleader team, and lately she’s been trying to get Lou’s attention. Lou and Harry both had warned her, but something happened between them this afternoon that made Harry skip our practice.” Liam explained, eyes darting towards a tensed Louis. “We were hoping to get some answers by coming here.”

  


Anne put a hand over her mouth, turning her attention to Louis. “Lou, is he okay? What did he tell you?”

  


Louis rubbed his face, frustration painting all over his gesture. “She told him that he’s a charity case, and that I’m tired of dealing with his panic attacks.” He sighed at the gasps from the lads and Anne. “I’m pretty sure she said some other things too, but he was too exhausted from crying that he fell asleep before I could ask more.”

  


Anne had tears in her eyes, and Louis quickly pulled her into a hug. “I will never get tired of him, Anne. I’ll take care of him, I promise.”

  


Anne nodded against his shoulder, tightening the embrace for a fraction before pulling back and wiped the tears. She stood, excusing herself as she walked upstairs to Harry’s bedroom, closing the door as she entered. The boys all turned to Louis, expression serious.

  


“What are you going to do, Lou?” Niall asked, the hint of irritation in his voice. “She couldn’t sway you, so she went to Harry instead. Fucking cheerleader.”

  


Zayn scoffed. “You can’t play nice anymore, Lou.”

  


He glared at Zayn. “I _never_ played nice with her, Z. I _directly_ told her to fuck off, but she’s fucking persistent.”

  


“Drop that attitude, Lou.” Zayn warned, voice getting lower. “I know you’re furious, but we need to come up with something since she knew Harry is vulnerable.”

  


Liam nodded. “He’s right, Lou. If this continues, I’m afraid she’ll said even more nasty things to H, messing with his mind and-”

  


Louis pointed a finger towards Liam, eyes hardening. “Don’t you _dare_ finish that sentence, Li.”

  


Liam brought his hands up in defence, shutting his mouth. Louis slumped backwards, putting an arm over his eyes as he tried to think of the best way to stop Elise’s taunt. Niall suddenly brightened up.

  


“I have an idea.”

  


The other boys immediately perked up, and they leaned forward, four heads meeting in the middle to form a huddle, listening carefully as Niall dished out his idea. It was a brilliant one, albeit it being a dirty move, but they knew it would completely take Elise out of the picture. They fist-bumped, grinning mischievously.

  


“I’ll carry out the first half of the plan tomorrow morning, then you will confront her after school. Deal?”

  


Louis, Liam and Zayn nodded. “Deal.”

  


Louis sent the boys out the door after a while, closing and locking the door before walking upstairs, finding Anne caressing Harry’s curls with a pained look on her face. Anne glanced over to him.

  


“I hope you don’t mind me staying over.”

  


Anne smiled warmly. “Of course I don’t mind, Lou. Besides, he’ll feel better with you here.”

  


Louis blushed slightly. “Thank you, Anne.”

  


Anne stood and walked over to Louis, pulling him into a hug. “No, thank _you_ , Lou, for staying with Harry.”

  


Louis nodded against Anne’s shoulder, tightening his arms before pulling away. Anne smiled, caressing his face and walked out, closing the door gently. He paced towards the other side of the bed, crawling under the duvet and laid his head on the pillow, turning to face Harry. Instantly, Harry curled up to him, and Louis wrapped his arms around Harry’s body, smiling when he felt Harry nosed against his neck, sighing in contentment in his sleep. He kissed the top of Harry’s head, lingering a little bit before speaking in a hushed whisper.

  


“I’ll protect you, baby. No matter what.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the scale of 1-10, how much do you hate the new character?
> 
> Do enlighten me with your comments! xx


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for the beautiful comments, kudos and bookmarks! It's always been a pleasure to read and reply to you lovely angels xx and I hope everyone is staying safe!
> 
> Sooo, there's a new character introduction in this chapter, and this character will play quite a huge role in destroying something, thus, this is his debut. We'll be seeing him in action in a couple of chapters (maybe), as I'm still developing the story revolving this character and our beloved boys. I was a bit tense when writing this, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.
> 
> Towards the end, there's a brief description of the video mentioned in the first half of this chapter, and I want to apologise in advance for the inaccuracy or maybe the negative insinuation presented. Please understand that I respect everyone's preferences, and I made it clear in Louis' statement later.
> 
> Anyway, here goes chapter 12! Enjoy xx

# Threat

### 

Louis watched as the tiny flicker of light cascaded on Harry’s sleeping features. Most of his face was hidden from the light, but the exposed skin caught the dim golden sun, accentuating his cheekbones and his slightly sharpened jaw. His eyes were closed, eyelashes casting long shadows under the gleaming ray, curls springing wild, and plump, red lips a bit parted. Tear stains coated his cheeks in long lines, and Louis’ heart shattered at the sight of it. Harry was so _pure_ , so inadvertently adorable, the perfect epitome of an angel but as there were heaven and hell, angels and demons, a world full of deceit like this existed too. And Louis wanted nothing more than to protect the sweet boy in his arms for as long as he’d allow him.

  


The boy stirred in his arms, slowly moving around and opening his eyes. He looked up, and Louis felt all air had been knocked out of his lungs when he saw the emerald orbs reflecting the remnants of light, creating golden specks in its irises, and it was _magnificent_. He observed the hints of sadness, hope and joy in them, with tiny bits of insecurity, doubt and disbelief all mixed together in a chaotic mess. Louis was certain that the curly lad had the same chaos in his mind too. He gently caressed his cheek, thumbing the area under his eyes, his golden skin contrasting perfectly with Harry’s milky white skin.

  


“Good morning love.”

  


Harry burrowed his head into the crook of Louis’ neck, but Louis didn’t miss the faint blush spreading all over his cheeks, and to his ears. He chuckled, hugging him tighter and kissed the top of his head while Harry sighed happily.

  


“You stayed.”

  


His voice was muffled against Louis’ neck, and he smiled when Louis’ chest vibrated against his from his soft giggles. He clung firmly onto Louis while he rubbed his back soothingly.

  


“Of course I stayed, you’re my _favourite_ person after all.”

  


He grinned when he heard Harry giggling, and honestly, he didn’t think he would want to live without that cute sound. He made a move to pull back, but Harry was feeling a bit clingy, and if he wanted cuddles, he was going to get it no matter what. Louis shook his head, fondness showing in his features.

  


“As much as I love to cuddle with you, Haz, we have school today.”

  


Harry whined. “Don’t want to go.”

  


Louis cooed, caressing his curls. It was tempting, to skip school, but he had a plan to carry out, and practice to attend. “Come on, love. I’ll give you more cuddles later, but for now, we need to get up or we’re going to be late.”

  


At the mention of more cuddles, Harry swiftly let go, kissed the corner of Louis’ mouth and went straight to the bathroom. It stumped Louis, but he smiled nevertheless. When Harry was done, he went in, took a bath and changed his clothes into one of Harry’s. He loved the smell of Harry’s clothes; they made him feel warm.

  


“I really like you in my clothes.”

  


Louis winked, pecking Harry’s lips. “I like your clothes too. Might want to steal some of them.”

  


Harry giggled. “Be my guest.”

  


They went downstairs all freshened up, drooling at the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. Harry wasted no time and quickly gobbled up the hearty breakfast since he hadn’t eaten anything since last night. Anne chuckled while Louis rolled his eyes, silently endeared by the curly boy beside him.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry was glued to Louis’ side the whole time, only separated during classes. It’s lunchtime, and he’s fully aware of the observing eyes at how cuddly Harry was, but he ignored them. He knew Harry got clingier after conflicts, so he indulged him wholeheartedly. He felt a pair of eyes piercing through his skull so he turned around to find an enraged Elise, glaring daggers towards both of them, but specifically, towards _Harry_. He made a show of kissing the top of Harry’s head and brought the boy closer without breaking eye contact, smirking when Elise clenched her fists and stomped away with fury in her eyes.

  


Zayn nudged him. “Rick’s glaring at you, mate.”

  


He snapped his head to Rick’s direction, and Zayn was right. Rick was glaring at him, pure hatred radiating off of the senior, which Louis assumed had something to do with Elise. He saw how smitten Rick was with her, and they even had a brief relationship before Elise ditched him and went after Louis instead. He must have seen the exchange between them.

  


Liam shuddered. “He’s aiming for you, Lou. I can sense the hatred he had for you all the way here.”

  


Louis shrugged. “If it’s a fight he wants; I’ll give him a fight to remember.”

  


“But Lou, it’s not worth it.” Zayn tried to reason. “He wants _Elise_ ; won’t that spur her more?”

  


Louis shook his head. “If he wants Elise, I’ll gladly throw her over to him. But I’m _not_ fighting over Elise, not a chance because like you said, it’s not worth it.” Louis said nonchalantly, munching on his food. “He aims for Harry too, and that is enough reason for me to fight.”

  


Liam and Zayn nodded in understanding while Harry straightened up and turned to Louis with a panicked expression. “No, Lou. The last time you fought, you got away with detention, but who knows what will happen if you get into a fight again?”

  


Louis acted unbothered. “The most I’ll receive is suspension, and I couldn’t care less.”

  


Harry widened his eyes. “But Lou-”

  


His words were cut by a searing kiss on his lips, and he heard gasps from other students. He blushed crimson, words died in his mouth as Louis pulled away. His eyes were glued to Louis’ side profile, watching blankly as Louis continued eating like he didn’t just do something so _bold_ in front of hundreds of students. He could see the smirk on his lips, while Liam and Zayn cackled. He huffed, turning to his food and jabbed his fork into the salad with force.

  


“Little shit.” He mumbled under his breath, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Louis laughed.

  


“I like you too.”

  


And that made Harry smile wider.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Hey lads! Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  


Niall approached them with a bright smile, skipping all the way to Louis and Liam who were leaning against the lockers. They straightened up upon hearing his voice, exchanging smiles and hugs.

  


“What did you get?”

  


Niall smirked, taking his phone out, swiftly going through his ‘download’ file and opened the most recent one. He glanced around, making sure no one was there. His thumb hovered over the ‘play’ button, glancing to Louis and Liam cautiously.

  


“What I’m going to show you isn’t pretty, but rather, it’s _kinky._ ”

  


Louis and Liam widened their eyes at that, looking at each other before returning their attention to Niall who had a disgusted look on his face. “How did you get it?”

  


Niall shrugged. “Perks of being friends with a hacker.” Louis and Liam casted him a worried look. “No, he doesn’t hack anything of ours, I’ve checked.” He quickly added.

  


Liam raised his eyebrows. “And how do you know the contents in our phones?”

  


Niall rolled his eyes. “Mate, we know _everything_ in each other’s phones, remember?”

  


Liam pursed his lips, nodding slowly. Niall continued. “He only hacked and saved the contents in the bullies’ phones, for whatever reason.” He shrugged. “And you won’t believe who’s in this either.”

  


Louis hummed. “Let’s watch it then.” He paused, scrunching his face. “But please mute it, I don’t need to hear anything.”

  


Niall nodded, and he muted the audio. He took a deep breath before pressing ‘play’, and sure enough, it was kinky as hell, and they visibly shuddered upon seeing the ropes, whip, blindfold, gag, and other toys they didn’t recognise. They wanted to close their eyes when a figure of a bulky young man appeared, making Liam and Louis leaned over to see more clearly.

  


“Is that…?” Liam trailed off, immediately looking up to Niall, horror painted all over his face as Niall nodded. Louis, on the other hand, looked like he was about to throw up. “And this is from his private collection?”

  


Niall nodded again. “Yeah.” He pressed pause and opened their private chats. “I’m sending it to you both, and I’ll keep it until the day’s over, just in case.”

  


In a matter of seconds, both Liam and Louis received the video, and just then, Harry and Zayn appeared, confusion etched on their faces.

  


“What’s going on?”

  


They instantly looked up, abruptly shoving their phones inside their pockets. Liam casted a look towards Zayn, and he subtly nodded in understanding.

  


“Nothing, H, just discussing some school stuff.” Niall grinned, putting an arm over his shoulders. “Now, let’s go to the field, shall we?”

  


Louis cleared his throat. “You lads go first. I left something in the classroom, so I’ll catch you later.” He saw the question in Harry’s eyes, but he only mouthed “later” in which Harry reluctantly nodded and followed the other boys to the field. Louis heaved a sigh of relief, schooling his expression to neutral as he caught Elise’s figure crossing the school yard with her cheerleader friends.

  


“El!”

  


Elise stopped dead on her tracks, a satisfied smirk on her lips before turning to Louis with a bright smile. “Louis! How wonderful to see you!”

  


Louis wanted to gag at the enthusiasm, but he remained expressionless as he walked closer. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”

  


Elise beamed, turning to her friends. “You girls go and get ready with our choreography. I’ll join you when I’m done talking with _my_ Louis.” The girls giggled and waved at her, and Louis watched them go with a bored look. Elise whipped her head back, smiling seductively as she played with her hair, staring right into Louis’s eyes. He controlled the urge to roll his eyes. “So, did you finally agree to go out on a date with me?”

  


“Drop the act, El.” Louis crossed his arms on his chest, staring down at Elise. “I _know_ you approached Harry yesterday.”

  


Elise remained neutral, but Louis could see the crack in her demeanour. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  


“Oh really?” Louis quirked one of his eyebrows, unimpressed, his tone challenging. “You sure it wasn’t you who said he was a _charity case_ and that I was _tired_ of dealing with his attacks?”

  


He saw the exact moment Elise’s whole façade crumbled. Her smirk faltered, her eyes lost its natural shine, and all Louis could see was _lies, lies, lies._ “I-I think it’s someone else, y-yeah.” She stammered, clearing her throat before trying again. “I went straight home after school yesterday.”

  


Louis almost wanted to laugh right to her face at how obvious she’s being, but instead, he took out his phone and pressed play before turning the screen to Elise. He smirked when Elise’s eyes widened in horror. She tried to snatch the phone but Louis held it higher, making her glare at him.

  


“Where did you get that?”

  


Louis shrugged. “I have my sources. And look.” He pointed to the screen, pausing when the bulky lad showed his face to the camera. “Is that… _Rick?_ ”

  


Elise glared coldly, glancing back and forth between Louis and his phone. She remained quiet, chest rising and falling in anger and shame, fists clenching. Louis chuckled, eyes darting to the sky as he hooked his chin with his fingers, pondering.

  


“I wonder what will happen if I spread this around.” He side-eyed Elise who widened her eyes. “I’m sure people who are into this will _enjoy_ it.” He sang-song, clearly enjoying himself with how her face was contorted in torment.

  


“Don’t spread it, _please._ ” She pleaded, her eyes wet with tears. “I’ll do anything, I swear.”

  


Louis turned serious, voice dangerously low as he inched his face closer. “Stay away from Harry and us. Do that, and I won’t spread this.” He warned within gritted teeth, hatred apparent in his eyes and voice. “If you dare to even look his way, I won’t hesitate to upload your kinky video on the internet. Is that clear?”

  


Louis relished in the genuine fear showcased in Elise’s eyes and features, fighting the urge to smirk as he noticed her trembling. She was utterly speechless, her whole body coated with deep trepidation as she continued to stared at Louis.

  


“I asked you a question, El, and I don’t like _repeating_ it.”

  


She flinched at the raise in Louis’ tone, quickly nodding and she felt her fear rising when Louis’ smirk grew wider. “Good. Remember, I have this, so if you screw up, be sure to say goodbye to your _innocent_ persona.”

  


Louis pocketed his phone, ready to leave when a fist landed on his right cheek, causing him to fall with a loud thud. He heard Elise screamed, and he barely got time to register the hard blow before someone yanked his collar with force, opening his eyes to see a furious Rick just inches away from his face.

  


“Stay away from Elise.”

  


Louis chuckled, provoking Rick. “As if I want her in the first place.”

  


Rick gritted his teeth and punched him hard on the other cheek, motioning to land another blow before Elise yanked him away, standing between Rick and Louis. “Stop, Rick! You can’t punch him!”

  


Rick glared at Elise. “Why are you defending him?!”

  


Elise shook her head, fury and fear in her eyes. “I’m not! I’m saving you from another punishment!” She reached out for Rick’s arm, her tone pleading. “Please, Rick. I’ll explain everything. Let’s just go.”

  


Louis saw the anger leaving Rick’s body as he stared into Elise’s eyes. He snorted lowly, wincing as the pain on his cheeks intensified. He made eye contact with Rick who scowled at him, but Louis just smirked, ignoring the pain.

  


“Watch your back, Tomlinson.” He spat. “We’ll settle this later.”

  


Louis laughed, tone mocking. “Oh no, we won't, because it’s _over_ , isn’t it, El?”

  


Rick side-stepped Elise but she gripped his arm tightly, halting him from his movement. “It’s over, Rick. Leave him alone and let’s go.”

  


She dragged him away, not sparing a glance towards Louis as Rick followed her helplessly. Louis chuckled at the sight, immediately regretting it as he groaned in pain, wiping the blood oozing from his nose.

  


“Fuck.” He cursed, rolling his eyes. “Harry’s going to kill me.”

  


When Harry’s name fell past his lips, he instantly remembered his practice. “Fuck!” He looked at his watch, groaning when he found out he’s late by 15 minutes. “Fuck, fuck! I’m late!”

  


He stood up and sprinted to the field, praying that Coach Morrison didn’t kill him first.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry was restless. He kept glancing to the tunnel, hoping for Louis to show up. He’s late, and he didn’t answer his calls. He tried one more time, cursing under his breath when he didn’t pick up. The practice had started, and Harry could see Coach Morrison glancing back and forth between the tunnel and his watch, worry etched on his face.

  


“Seriously, where the fuck is Lou?” Zayn was worried as well, trying to focus both on the game and the whereabouts of his best friend. He saw that Liam and Niall kept looking at them with questioning eyes, sighing when Zayn shook his head.

  


Harry, on the other hand, was unable to watch the game the moment Louis didn’t turn up in time. He kept his eyes on the tunnel, ignoring Zayn’s question before he was startled by the loud blow of the whistle.

  


“Tomlinson, get your arse here, quick!”

  


Harry snapped his head so fast it cracked. Louis was already changed, but what caught Harry’s attention was the purplish-red bruise on both of his cheeks, and he could see him wiping his nose, a tiny bit of blood on the back of his hand. Slow murmurs buzzing lightly among Louis’ teammates as Coach Morrison inspected Louis’ cheeks.

  


“What happened to you?”

  


Louis deflected his eyes. “I didn’t watch where I was going, Coach, and I bumped into the lockers in my haste to come here.” Harry could see him trying to subdue the pain. “I’m so sorry for being late, Coach.”

  


Coach Morrison sighed, not at all convinced but decided to let it go. “Don’t be late next time, Tomlinson.”

  


Louis nodded. “Yes, Coach.”

  


He quickly jogged to the field, and Harry saw Liam patting his back while Niall fussed over him. Coach Morrison blew his whistle, and the game resumed. Zayn nudged Harry. “That doesn’t look like a bruise from an impact with the lockers.”

  


Harry simply nodded, swallowing thickly as he watched Louis wiping his nose occasionally. The bruise was even more visible as he played, and Harry shuddered when Louis winced in pain as he collided with another player in an attempt to steal the ball.

  


“He looks like he’s in so much pain.”

  


Zayn hummed. “Yeah. We’ll have to ask him later.”

  


The practice ended at 6, with Coach Morrison praising and granting them a break before the big game, patting each and every player on the back, but he held Louis back. Harry watched as they talked, but it’s hard to guess as Louis’ face was undecipherable. He saw Liam and Niall approaching them, concern plastered on their faces.

  


“What happened with his cheeks?” Zayn wasted no time in asking. Liam and Niall looked at each other and sighed. Niall shot a hesitant look towards Harry, in which Harry only furrowed his eyebrows. He spoke with a cautious tone.

  


“He only mentioned Rick, and said that he’d explain later.”

  


Harry froze for a while before closing his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to try and tame his rapidly beating heart at the mention of his name. When he’s calmed, he directed his gaze to Louis who was nodding to whatever Coach Morrison was telling him, concern soaring in his nerves when he could see the unmistakable sign of tension creeping up in Louis. He continued to observe until Louis was finally let go with a pat on his shoulder, and he noticed Louis walking with hesitance in his steps, face staring ahead with an expression that Harry could only decipher as _troubled._

  


When Louis reached them, Harry took his hand and squeezed gently, a silent support. He didn’t want to overwhelm Louis any further; he could already tell Louis was currently dealing with a lot, even though he was dying to know the cause of the bruise.

  


“Lou, what actually happened when we left?” Niall asked, impatience and worry laced in his tone. Louis sighed.

  


“Can we _please_ change and eat something first? I’m completely drained, and I could really use a quick shower and ice pack.” He brushed his fingers over the bruise, wincing when he accidentally applied a little bit of pressure. “It fucking hurts.”

  


Liam and Niall dragged him to the changing room, while Zayn and Harry waited outside. Harry tilted his head backwards, eyes staring into the golden sky with a sigh. His mind was whirring with questions; _why was he bruised? What happened after they left? What did Coach Morrison told him that made him look so… conflicted?_

  


The door slammed open, and both Harry and Zayn whipped their heads to the side, but got disappointed when it wasn’t their friends. Their other teammates were walking out, all cleaned up, boisterous laughter filling up the otherwise empty arena. They caught Zayn’s and Harry’s eyes, nodding briefly with a small smile and stepped out, but one of them stopped in front of them, eyeing Harry.

  


“You’re Tomlinson’s boy, aren’t you?”

  


Harry, nerves high with worry and anger nodded curtly, matching the other lad’s gaze. “Yeah, why?”

  


He laughed, but Harry could sense the mocking tone underneath it. His anger spiked when the boy looked at him up and down with a smirk, and a hungry look in his brown eyes. “You’re really pretty up close, no wonder he’s into you.”

  


Harry straightened up, jaws clenching but Zayn interrupted. “Lou’s into him not just for his looks, Peter, so stop insinuating as if he worth nothing than his looks.” Zayn glared coldly, voice low. It always made Harry shiver, because Zayn was fucking _intimidating_ when he wanted to be.

  


Peter raised his hands up, eyebrows raised in pure amusement and mockery. “Whoa, mate, calm down. I was just praising him, wasn’t I, _Harry_?”

  


Harry’s blood boiled, disgusted with the way Peter said his name. “Save it. I don’t want your praises.”

  


Peter smirked, bringing his hands down and cocked his head to the side. “Quite _feisty_ , as well. I like that. Make you even more… _delectable._ ”

  


Zayn shoved him then, creating a gap between them, eyes lit with wrath. “Lay a finger on him and we’ll make sure you’ll be kicked out of the team.”

  


Peter laughed, the sound ringing obnoxiously in Harry’s ears, and he wanted nothing more than punch the laugh out of his mouth. “We’ll see who gets kicked out first; _me_ , or _Tomlinson._ ” He reached out to touch Harry’s curls, but Harry batted his hand away, scowling.

  


“Don’t fucking _touch_ me.”

  


Peter’s smirk grew, and he leaned closer. “I can’t wait to see Tomlinson _crumbles apart_.”

  


Without waiting for Harry and Louis to respond, he gave Harry one last wicked smirk and a lick on his lips before walking away, leaving the two boys in an immeasurable fury. They barely registered the door being slammed open, revealing their three friends who were talking but halted when they noticed the tense atmosphere between Harry and Zayn.

  


“H? Z?”

  


Niall approached them with judicious steps, startled when he saw the fire in their eyes. He turned to Louis and Liam with questioning eyes, diverting his striking blue eyes back to the other two.

  


“Uh… is everything alright?”

  


That earned a reaction from Zayn who picked up a pebble and threw it to the middle of the field, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. “Nothing is alright! Fucking assholes, coming at us one by one.” He ran a hand over his hair. “Why can’t they give it a rest already?”

  


Louis slowly approached Harry, tentatively reaching out to grab his wrist, thankful that he didn’t swat his hand away. “Haz?”

  


Harry directed his gaze towards Louis, his darkened eyes slowly gaining its original colour, the gentle peek of light coming out from Louis’ stunning cerulean eyes penetrating through the darkening forest in his mind, emitting a soft glow like the first sign of the sun at dawn. He felt his rage being washed out, leaving behind little tamed sparks. He stared into Louis’ eyes, finding nothing but worry, and he sighed.

  


“Can we just _go_ , please?”

  


Louis wanted to ask more questions, but upon seeing the pleading look in his eyes, he hesitantly nodded and dragged him away. Zayn was still fuming, complaining about the existence of bullies in the world and how there would always be those groups of people no matter what we did to curb the problem. They grab dinner at McDonald’s, and went to Harry’s house in which Anne warmly welcomed them.

  


“Oh, my lovely boys!” She hugged them, extremely pleased. She stepped aside to let the boys through but paused when she saw the bruise on Louis’ cheeks. “Louis dear, what on earth happened to your cheeks?”

  


Louis forced a smile. “Oh, you know, boys playing football, it was rough.” Anne heaved a sigh of relief, nodding, but Harry could tell his mum was slightly unconvinced. “Thank God. There’s ice pack in the fridge if you need it, and come in boys! Make yourselves at home.”

  


Liam grinned. “Thanks, Anne. We’ll make ourselves a cuppa, so you don’t have to trouble yourself.”

  


Anne giggled. “Of course. I’ll be in the study if you need me.” She smiled when the boys nodded. “Oh, and you’re welcomed to stay over too.”

  


Niall beamed. “That’ll be great! Thanks Anne.”

  


She waved him off and went to her study, leaving the boys alone. They made tea in silence, each of them lost in thoughts. They plopped themselves on the couch and loveseat, sighing in unison, and Louis sighed deeply at the cold sensation of the ice pack seeping into his skin. It was a long day, and they were exhausted, both physically and mentally, but they needed to talk. And Liam was the one who started the discussion.

  


“Lou, I know you’re tired and all but we really need to talk about your bruise.”

  


Louis groaned and rolled his eyes. “My jaw hurts, Li, so I hope you pay for this later.”

  


Liam rolled his eyes but nodded anyway, gesturing for him to continue. Harry was hugging Louis’ torso, head on his shoulder, body curled up to his side, and Louis had an arm around Harry’s body, fingers rubbing circles on his hip. It’s a calming motion, and Harry softly sighed as he braced himself with whatever Louis was going to say.

  


“Like I said, Rick punched me.”

  


Niall immediately straightened up. “Wait, he _punched_ you?”

  


Zayn’s face was contorted in anger. “What the fuck, Lou? The plan didn’t involve Rick at all!” Harry’s head shot up at the mention of _plan. What plan?_

  


Louis glared at Zayn. “You think I _purposely_ involved Rick in it?”

  


Zayn scoffed. “I didn’t say that. I’m just saying that Rick seems to _gravitate_ himself to you and you both always ended up fighting.”

  


Louis sat up straighter, bringing Harry with him. “I didn’t know he was watching us, Z. I caught El and I got to be alone with her-”

  


“You were with _Elise?_ ” Harry’s tone was accusing, eyes narrowing as he slowly let go of Louis. “ _Why?_ ” He didn’t mean for his voice to be venomous and seething with anger, but he couldn’t help what he felt. From what he could conclude, the four of them hatched a plan without him knowing, and somehow, Elise and Rick were involved.

  


Louis sensed the change, and he immediately hugged Harry tighter, kissing the top of his head before pulling away slightly, staring right into his eyes. “Please, love, let me finish. I promise it’s not what you think it is.”

  


Harry was sceptical, but he nodded. Louis always had a reason for the things he did, and Harry _trusted_ him. Louis sighed in gratification, turning to look at each and every one of them. “After you left, I saw El walking with her friends so I called her, and she sent them away so we could talk in private. She asked if I finally agreed to go on a date with her-”

  


Niall groaned. “I swear that woman is delusional.”

  


“Yes she is, thank you for summarising that, _Neil._ ” Louis pointedly looked at Niall who just shrugged with a small grin. “I showed her that video-”

  


Harry frowned. “What video?”

  


Louis internally cursed, his patience was running thin but he couldn’t get mad at Harry, could he? “Hazza, I’ll show you the video later, but for now, please let me finish telling my story?” He asked with the gentlest tone he could muster as to not offend Harry. When Harry nodded, he sighed. “She was genuinely scared, apparently it’s a private collection and no one was supposed to know.”

  


Liam turned to Niall. “Seems like your hacker friend is the best of the best.” Niall smugly smirked, and he directed his attention back to Louis. “Then?”

  


Louis cleared his throat. “She pleaded that I don’t spread the video in which I said I’d only keep it if she agreed to not show her face in front of us again, especially Harry. And she agreed with my terms.”

  


Harry felt the butterflies taking flight inside his tummy, freely fluttering their wings, sending waves of happiness all over his body. He tried to hide the smile that threatened to break through by biting the insides of his cheeks, but Louis noticed from the corner of his eyes and gripped his waist a little tighter, a small smirk playing on his lips.

  


Zayn pondered for a while, leaning forwards with his hands clasped on his knees. “So how did Rick come into the picture?”

  


Louis glanced over to Zayn. “I was turning to leave when he came out of nowhere, and hit me _hard._ ” Harry winced at that, as if he was the one at the receiving end. “It was so sudden that I lost my balance and fell, causing him to grab my collar tightly, warning me to stay away from Elise.” Louis rolled his eyes in annoyance. “As if I was the one who tried to _seduce_ her in the first place.”

  


Niall sat up straighter. “What happened next?”

  


Louis snorted. “I told him _as if I want her in the first place_ and was hit with another punch.” He laughed but regretted it when the pain kicked in. He rubbed his cheeks and jaw, knitting his eyebrows together. “Elise yanked him away, begging him to stop and that she’d explain everything to him later. It’s funny how Rick’s whole demeanour changed drastically as he stared into Elise’s eyes.”

  


“You’re the same, Lou.” Liam smirked. “ _Whipped._ ”

  


“Shut up.” Louis brought Harry closer to his side. “It’s normal when you really like someone.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Harry’s head, smiling when he saw faint blush creeping up to his cheeks. “And Elise is so damn blind for not seeing how whipped Rick is for her.”

  


Zayn rolled his eyes, scrunching his nose in fake disgust. “She sure is, and I fucking hope she keeps her word.”

  


Louis nodded. “She better be, or I won’t hesitate to spread it around, even if it’s a _cheap_ move.”

  


“Agreed. We’re not the people she wants to mess with.” Niall spoke, tone firm. He then glanced back and forth towards Harry and Zayn. “Now, what’s the story with you two?”

  


Harry seethed with anger. “That _fucking footballer_ in your team is the problem.”

  


The lads were surprised at the agitated tone, exchanging glances before Liam asked. “Who, H?”

  


“Peter.” Zayn chimed in. “I don’t know what’s his deal, but he was aiming for you, Lou.” Zayn watched as Louis clenched his fists. “He tried to touch Harry-”

  


Louis gritted his teeth. “He did _what_?”

  


Zayn gulped. He was used to seeing Louis ready to fight whoever messed up with his friends (and this time, his boyfriend), but it still put him on edge. “He tried to _touch_ Harry, but Harry swatted his hand away, gave him a warning.”

Louis turned to Harry, eyes wide but softening, a glint of pride in them. “Did you?” He beamed when Harry nodded. “What did you say?”

  


_“Don’t fucking touch me.”_

  


Louis laughed out loud, and Niall cackled. “Oh my God, Lou, you really groomed him to be just like you.” He wiped a single tear at the corner of his eye. “I’ll say this again, H, you’re turning more and more like Lou.”

  


Harry shrugged. “I need to. Can’t always have him or any of you saving my arse every time, can I?”

  


Liam chuckled. “You know we don’t mind, H. You’re our friend, and friends protect each other.”

  


Harry sighed. “I know, but Peter was targeting Lou, and he knew one of the ways is through me.” Louis carded his hair gently, and he leaned in to the touch. “I can’t let him have the upper hand.”

  


Louis smiled. “I’m proud of you, Hazza.”

  


Harry preened, tucking himself under Louis’ arm. “Thank you.”

  


“So _clingy._ ” Niall joked, no malice in his words and Harry just stuck his tongue out. “But I sense something else, Z.”

  


Zayn sighed. “When H swatted his hand, he smirked and said he liked it when H’s all _feisty_ , making him look even more _delectable_.”

  


Louis tensed. “That _fucker._ ” His voice dripping with venom. “Try to touch even a single strand of Harry’s hair and I’ll make sure he gets kicked out of the team.”

  


“That’s the thing, Lou. I said the exact same thing, but he only smirked and told us we’ll see who gets kicked out first; _him_ or _you_.” Zayn had a worried look on his face. “He even said that he couldn’t wait to see you _crumble apart._ ”

  


Liam furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  


Zayn shook his head. “I honestly don’t know, but I feel like sooner or later, things are about to get nasty.” He looked directly at Louis. “You need to be careful, Lou. He’ll try to get to you through Harry, us, and the team, basically the things that are _important_ to you.”

  


Louis was deep in thought as he processed Zayn’s words. He knew Peter was trouble from the moment they met during the try-out. He often stole glances at Harry and then smirked at him, and when they’re practicing, he would try to provoke him by tackling and pushing him. He always tried to get on his nerves, confusing him of his motives. But now, he understood why.

  


“I’ll be careful. Thanks, Z.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


The boys opted to sleep downstairs, so Anne provided them with blankets and pillows, kissing their foreheads and wishing them good night. But of course, Harry dragged Louis to his room, mumbling about his promise on more cuddles earlier this morning.

  


“At this point, Haz, I practically live here with how often I stayed over.” He giggled as he changed into Harry’s pyjamas, smiling when he heard Harry’s laugh from inside the room.

  


“I don’t mind, though. I always sleep better when you’re here.”

  


He walked out of the bathroom, smirking. “Oh? Did I fend off your nightmares then?”

  


Harry blushed, nodding as he watched Louis put the dirty clothes in the laundry basket. “Yeah, and you’re a great cuddle buddy too.”

  


Louis laughed, amused. He climbed onto the bed, leaning against the headboard beside Harry. He looked over to his side, admiring the beautiful crescent moon, highlighting the dark sky with white halo, tiny clouds gathering over it, and he closed his eyes at the moonlight washing over his features.

  


“Lou?”

  


“Hmm?”

  


“What was the video that you guys talked about?”

  


Louis snapped his head towards Harry, contemplating whether to show him or not. “Are you sure you want to see?”

  


Harry nodded, but his gut feeling told him that it was a _mistake_. Louis searched his eyes, finding hesitance and curiosity, and he softly sighed. “Okay, but I must warn you, it’s quite… _triggering_.”

  


Harry gulped, already regretting his decision but he really wanted to know. He sat up straighter, schooling his face to one of determination. “I’ll be fine.”

  


Louis stifled his laugh, internally cooing with how adorable Harry was as he tried to look determined. He reached out for his phone, unlocking it and went over to his gallery, thumb hovering over the first video, turning to face Harry. “You ready?”

  


With a deep breath, Harry nodded. “Ready.”

  


Louis pressed play, and Harry’s jaw dropped open when he watched the scene unfolding from the video. Elise was stark naked, wrists cuffed with a pair of fluffy handcuffs over a metal bar that was hanging from the ceiling, mouth gagged. Her body was tied with rope, and it looked painful to Harry, but judging from Elise’s expression, he’d say Elise was thoroughly _enjoying_ it. When Rick came into the screen, he visibly shuddered as he flogged her, and the moment Rick went behind her, unzipping his pants, he shook his head quickly, wrapping his arms around himself tightly.

  


“Stop the video, please.”

  


Louis complied, locking his phone and turned to face Harry fully, opening his arms wide so Harry could launch himself forwards, coiling himself against Louis like spring. He cradled the back of Harry’s head, the other hand rubbing his back soothingly in an attempt to alleviate the trembles.

  


“It’s okay, baby, it’s gone now. You’re safe with me.”

  


Harry focused on Louis’ calming heartbeat against him, slowly but surely relaxing him. When he’s calmed enough, he pulled back just enough to look up to Louis, eyes filled with doubt and uncertainty. He found Louis’ mesmerising eyes staring right back at him, offering reassurance so he took a deep breath.

  


“Are you… um…” Louis caressed his cheek gently, gesturing him to continue. “Are you… into… _that_ , too?”

  


Louis wanted to laugh, finding the question _ridiculous_ but as he stared into Harry’s eyes, he saw fear and doubt coating the gorgeous emerald eyes that shone beautifully under the glowing moon. He settled with a serious expression, lips tugged at the corner slightly as he cupped Harry’s face.

  


“No, love. I was disgusted when I saw that.” He smiled when Harry exhaled deeply, the tension leaving his body. “I can’t see myself doing that for pleasure, but I respect those who enjoyed that kind of thing.” He kissed Harry forehead tenderly, and pulled back. “So, don’t worry, yeah?”

  


Harry smiled a genuine smile, falling into Louis’ embrace and let himself be manoeuvred by him, resting his head on Louis’ chest as he laid flat on his back, one arm around his body, and another clasping Harry’s hand on his stomach. For a while, they stayed like that, thoughts filled with so many things. Harry couldn’t help but let his mind wander to the encounter with Peter, and he was _terrified_ should anything happen to Louis. He glanced up to Louis.

  


“Lou?”

  


Louis glanced down, eyes meeting. “Yeah, baby?”

  


“I’m scared.”

  


Louis saw the distress in Harry’s eyes, and he shifted so they were laying side to side, facing each other. He brought his hand up, brushing his curls and rested the hand on Harry’s smooth cheek. Harry balled the fabric of Louis’ shirt in his fists, eyes never breaking contact.

  


“What are you scared of, love? Tell me.”

  


Harry nibbled his bottom lip, eyes casted towards his fabric-filled fists. “I’m scared about what Peter could _do_ to you.”

  


Louis smiled, caressing his cheek. “Hazza, he was just taunting you. Yes, he’s quite a problematic lad on the field, but I’ll be fine.”

  


Harry darted his eyes upwards, levelling their eyes, panicking. “But what if he _really_ hurts you? He wasn’t joking when he said he wanted to see you _crumble_ , Lou. I swear I saw the malice in his eyes when he said that, and I can’t help but think of different ways he could get you kicked out of the team, or worse, _injure_ you.” His eyes were watery, eyebrows knitted. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Lou.”

  


He wiped the tears that fell willingly with his thumbs, firmly but gently cupping his face. “Baby, listen to me.” He stared at the glassy emerald orbs. “I’ll be careful, alright? Besides, I’m a fighter, remember?” His tone was light, grinning but Harry couldn’t find it in himself to smile, not when he had a really bad feeling about Peter.

  


“I know, but Lou, football is your _passion_.” Harry tried to reason. “What if he _framed_ you?”

  


Louis sighed. “Then I’ll find evidence to connect him with my expulsion.” Harry opened his mouth to say something but was cut off. “I know, I know. But for now, there’s nothing much I can do, is there? I don’t know his moves, but I promise I’ll keep an eye on him. So please, don’t worry too much.”

  


Harry couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that told him _something’s going to happen_ , but as Louis embraced him, he sunk into the warm hug, trying to listen to Louis’ soothing words but none of them seemed to penetrate his raging mind. Eventually, Louis’ breathing evened out, exhaustion and pain taking over his entire body and he went lax. Harry, on the other hand, was still wide awake, mind whirring thousand miles per minute, playing over different scenarios of _Louis getting hurt, Louis getting kicked out,_ and _Louis in the hospital,_ devastated that he couldn’t play football anymore.

  


Harry tried to brush off the negative thoughts, but as Peter’s words and smirk invaded his mind yet again, he felt dreadful.

  


_I can’t wait to see Louis crumbles apart._

  


He clenched his eyes tightly, shaking his head in slow movements as not to stir Louis awake. He silently prayed that he was wrong, and that his mind was just playing tricks on him, trying to feed on his insecurity and fear. He opened his eyes and glanced upwards, index finger tracing Louis’ facial features, lingering on the bruise. He moved closer to Louis, desperately hoping that his scent and warmth could lull him to sleep, and gradually, his eyes drooped slowly, drifting off with one single thought circling his mind.

  


_Please, God, don’t let anything happen to Louis._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think?
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! I love to read your opinions and suggestions :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! How's everyone doing? My country's going into another lockdown on Monday, since the number of cases had risen these past few days :( so I hope everyone's staying safe!
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and kudos, they meant a lot! And for those who bookmarked, I truly appreciate you <3
> 
> There's a glimpse of what our new character did in this chapter, and it's going to get more intense as we progressed further, so stay tuned!
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy! xx

# Impending Danger

### 

The break they were granted by Coach Morrison brought a shocking revelation to Harry. Not because he knew they deserved it after weeks of continuous practice, but it was what to come the day after the break that made him go into another episode of a terrible breakdown.

  


They’re having their first match tomorrow. _On his birthday._

  


_Great._ Just great.

  


He had been dreaming about spending his birthday with Louis, since it’s his _first_ birthday with his boyfriend. He was ecstatic, making all sorts of scenes in his head, celebrating his birthday with the lads and his family, beautiful decorations dangling from the ceiling, cakes, presents, and ended with him happily snuggling in the arms of Louis.

  


The moment he knew about the match, it’s like a bomb was dropped, exploding and leaving his imaginations into tiny pieces of fragments, too hopeless to even pick them up and piecing them back together. He pulled the duvet up and over his head, curling into a ball, letting the tears fell as he slowly succumbed into a restless sleep.

  


Louis, on the other hand, was grinning ear-to-ear, talking about his plans for Harry’s birthday, thankful that his siblings were overjoyed to be a part of decorating team for the person they had come to adore.

  


“Alright, so I’m really counting on you to help Anne, so don’t disappoint me.” He looked at each of them, pleased to see six heads nodding eagerly. Lottie raised her hand. “Yes, Lottie?”

  


“When will you come back?”

  


Louis pondered for a while, tilting his chin up. “I don’t know, coach said it’ll end around 1pm, so as soon as it ended, we’ll come and help with the rest of the decorations.”

  


The girls cheered, Doris and Ernie making happy sounds and babbled about how happy they were to see Harry and Anne. Gemma had also agreed to come home, and she was excited to help her mum and meet his siblings. Louis plopped himself on the bed, replaying the scene from this evening in his head.

  


_“Baby, what’s going on in your head?”_

_They were all spending the whole evening at Niall’s house, playing video games, but Harry had been quiet since he realised the unavoidable catastrophe. He was simply staring blankly at the TV screen while the lads made a ruckus over the game they were playing, cuddling with Louis. He held Louis tighter, burying his face against his chest to hide his distress, shaking his head wordlessly. Louis sighed._

_“Hazza, please, I know you’re thinking of something.”_

_Harry pulled back a little, green eyes wet with unshed tears as he stared into the wonderful blue eyes. “Do you know what day it is tomorrow?”_

_“Yeah, it’s Saturday.” He responded immediately. “Our big day.”_

_Harry nodded quietly, disappointment coating his entire body and features but he forced a smile as he sank into his original position, his heart shattering into pieces. “Yeah. Good luck.”_

_Louis caressed his curls gently, nosing into it, inhaling the sweet scent of strawberry and pressing a kiss on the top of his head. He knew Harry was hoping for something else, and he also knew Harry didn’t catch the insinuation laced underneath the ‘big day’ he mentioned just now. His heart ached, but he needed to keep it a secret just a little longer. He glanced over to the boys who smiled discreetly at him, nudging towards Harry. They then nodded in unison._

_Oh, Harry’s going to have a celebration he wouldn’t forget._

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


The boys left to their match’s school as early as 7.30, and Harry slept through his alarm to wish them luck. He was just too drained and disheartened, briefly remembering the game today and shot a quick apology with a “good luck” in the group chat, earning enthusiastic “thank you H!” from them. He opened another chat with Louis, silently hoping that he would remember, but his heart clenched tightly when he read the text, tears falling in small droplets onto the screen.

  


**Lou ☼: Morning, love ♥**

**Lou ☼: Me and the lads will be going now, so I’ll see you later, yeah?**

**Lou ☼: I hope you have a great day ahead!**

  


He locked his phone, throwing it onto the bed and yanked the duvet up, curling into a tiny ball and cried. This was _not_ how his birthday supposed to be. He was supposed to start the day with a birthday wish from Louis and the lads, and then they would eat cake, and he would open the presents, they would all be spending time together and having fun, surrounded by the people he loved. He curled inwards, unbothered with how uncomfortable it was, letting his tears fell.

  


_This was the worst birthday ever._

  


“Lottie, can you help me to decorate this cake, please?”

  


“One minute!”

  


Lottie quickly hung the last ball on the ceiling before climbing down the ladder and joined Gemma in the kitchen along with Fizzy, piping the icing onto the cake. Anne was currently hanging the string of letters at the counter, and the older twins were putting balloons all over the bakery. Doris and Ernie were seated at a table far away from the chaos, diligently drawing. They claimed that it was a present for Harry, and Anne cooed before kissing their foreheads, wishing them good luck, and they beamed. Dan was there too, and he was helping Anne setting the place up by moving the unwanted chairs and tables along with Zayn.

  


“Anne, where do you want us to put these?”

  


Anne looked over to Dan who was holding a small box full of colourful metallic tiny papers. She pointed to the small table next to the door. “Just put it there, Dan. I’m sure these children will have fun with that.” They laughed, and Dan put the box down, moving to place a round table at the corner, where the presents would be put. Zayn was helping Anne with the food, occasionally watching over Phoebe and Daisy who were giggling while tying the balloons, and Doris and Ernie who seemed to be finishing their drawings. Just then, the door opened and the bell chimed.

  


“Hello everyone!”

  


Niall’s cheerful voice echoed in the dainty bakery, beaming when everyone turned to him and replied with a chorus of “hello!”. He entered the bakery, followed by the other lads, and they looked around with awe. The bakery had completely transformed into a marvellous green and gold space, with cute little balls hanging from the ceiling, curled up strings and stars at the centre of each ball. Banners were everywhere, and truth be told, the place looked like a prairie, with the addition of stars and balloons.

  


“This is amazing, guys!” Liam grinned. “Sorry we couldn’t help, though.”

  


Anne brushed him off. “Oh, it’s fine, Liam dear, we have lots of helping hands.” She smiled. “How’s the match?”

  


They looked at each other before turning towards the group. Gemma, Lottie and Fizzy had stopped decorating the cake, the older twins stood by the corner nervously, Dan and Zayn standing by the youngest twins, looking up expectantly. Louis, Liam and Niall grinned.

  


“We won!”

  


A loud cheer erupted inside the bakery, with the twins barrelling themselves into Louis, pride radiating off of them. He fell with a loud thud, but he didn’t care. Everyone was hugging them, congratulating them and telling them how proud they were. After the laughter had died down, Niall rubbed his hands together.

  


“Alright, let’s finish up and get the party started!”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry was stirred awake by the blaring sound of his phone ringing. He groaned, patting his bed to find his phone and without opening his eyes, answered the call.

  


“Hello?” His voice was deeper than usual, laced with sleep and exhaustion.

  


“Harry, honey, can you please come to the bakery? We need an extra hand.”

  


He whined. “But Mum, I just woke up.”

  


He could almost see his mum rolling her eyes. “Sweetheart, _please?_ ”

  


He pouted. “Fine. I’ll be there in 20.”

  


He could hear shuffling and faint shouts at the other hand, but his mind was too groggy to register the voices. He only heard his mum giggling. “Okay darling. See you soon!”

  


With that, she ended the call and Harry sluggishly sat up, stretching his body. He pushed the duvet and walked into the bathroom, taking a moment to see his dishevelled appearance – messy hair, red nose, puffy eyes, and wrinkled pyjamas. He scoffed, quickly shedding the clothes and stepped into the shower, lathering himself with strawberry scented body gel and shampoo, brushed his teeth and dried his hair before going out and picked an outfit. He wasn’t in the mood to dress up, but he still wanted to look good because it’s his birthday so he wore a blue button up with a pair of black skinny jeans and pulled out a pair of blue socks, and combed his hair to the best of his ability. Satisfied, he took his wallet and phone, went downstairs and put on his shoes. He locked the door, shot a text to his mum and started walking.

  


“He’s on his way!” Anne announced cheerily, and everyone doubled the effort to keep the place clean, shouts and screams filling the space. 5 minutes later, Zayn peeked through the blinds, grinning.

  


“He’s here! Quick, everyone! In position!”

  


They all scrambled into positions – Gemma behind the counter with the cake, the girls and Ernie at either side of the entrance with a handful of metallic papers, Anne and Dan standing in front of the counter, shielding Gemma. Niall, Liam and Zayn each had party poppers, and they were standing in between of the children. Louis, the very star of the celebration and the mastermind, was hiding under the counter beside Gemma’s legs. He would be the last surprise.

  


Harry was confused when he saw the blinds all pulled down, and no sign was in sight. He slowly approached the door, mind filled with various thoughts. His hand was trembling when he pushed the door, and he visibly jumped when a loud ‘pop’ echoed followed by a flurry of papers being thrown all over him.

  


“Happy 17th birthday, Harry!”

  


He blinked, taking in each and every face in front of him before he broke into the biggest grin, dimples popping out in deep crates at how wide his grin was. He laughed, brushing off the papers from his clothes and hair with the help of his friends. He hugged them, tears in his eyes when the children joined the group hug, and he pulled away, laughing wetly.

  


“Thank you so much, guys.” He wiped his tears, sniffling. “I thought no one remembered.”

  


Gemma came from behind the counter then, carefully balancing the cake on her palms with the widest smile. “Of course we remembered, silly.” Harry giggled, amazed at the beautifully decorated cake, with a single candle in the middle. Gemma kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday, baby brother.”

  


Harry looked at the round cake decorated with beautiful white and gold frosting, yellow daffodils adorning the upper corner of the cake, with little colourful flowers circling the diameter of the cake. He recognised the lettering in the middle, and he turned towards Fizzy and Lottie, smiling.

  


“You did this?”

  


Lottie and Fizzy nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! But Gemma baked the cake. We helped with the decorations.” Fizzy grinned, seemingly pleased with their work. Harry chuckled. “It’s gorgeous. Thanks girls.”

  


They gave a thumbs up, and Gemma nudged his shin. “Come on, make a wish.”

  


Harry looked around, hoping to find Louis. When he didn’t find him, his face fell. “Where’s Lou?”

  


Anne squeezed his shoulder, face sympathetic. “He got called in for work, honey. Told me to tell you he’s sorry.”

  


Harry felt his heart sinking, because the one person he really wanted to be here was _working_. He didn’t get a birthday wish from him, and now, he couldn’t even come for a while. Harry’s eyes pooled with tears, but he quickly shook his head and forced a smile. “That’s fine. Work is work.”

  


They were all trying to suppress a smile, nodding as Harry closed his eyes for a moment and blew the candle. Everyone clapped and cheered, gesturing for him to cut the cake. Gemma walked to the table and handed the knife to him, discreetly knocking the counter as she backed away, stifling a laugh as Louis emerged from under the counter. They noticed, subtly nodding so Louis tiptoed his way to Harry’s back, standing a good distance away from the unsuspecting Harry who was carefully cutting the cake into small slices. He held his breath and leaned closer, whispering lowly.

  


“Happy birthday, Hazza.”

  


Harry spun around so fast he nearly knocked Louis in the process. His eyes widened and he lost his grip on the knife. He took a few moments to fully comprehend the being standing in front of him, with his glorious grin and dazzling cerulean eyes before launching himself into the wide, open arms, tears falling on his cheeks as he hooked his arms tightly around Louis’ neck, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow.

  


“You’re here.” He croaked, overwhelmed with happiness. Louis laughed, rounding his arms around Harry’s waist securely, kissing his temple.

  


“Of course I’m here, baby. Won’t miss it for the world.”

  


Harry giggled, darting his eyes towards Anne who just shrugged with a smirk. _This was their plan all along,_ Harry thought. He pulled away, arms still loosely wrapped around Louis’ neck while Louis brought his hands up and wiped the tears. They were both smiling so wide, lost in their own world before Niall cleared his throat, making them both jump.

  


“Okay yeah that was emotional.” He wiped his fake tears, earning a chorus of laughter from everyone. “But I’m hungry. Let’s eat some cake!”

  


Harry and Louis rolled their eyes but let Niall took over distributing the cake to everyone involved. The lovebirds watched over the fuss wrapped in each other’s arms, laughing when the youngest twins smeared the frosting on Niall’s face before running away with joyous laughter, screaming as Niall chased them. He leaned his back against his chest, sighing in happiness as he felt Louis kissing his temple.

  


“Everyone looks so happy, Haz.”

  


Harry glanced over to the crowd, smiling as he witnessed Gemma playing with the youngest twins, laughing when they ate messily, cake crumbs all over their mouths and she wiped their mouths while pulling funny faces, eliciting cute giggles from the twins. The older twins were talking animatedly with Anne together with Lottie and Fizzy, while Dan was just bonding with the lads, probably talking about football.

  


He whipped his head to the side, almost knocking Louis’ nose from how fast he turned. “How was the game?”

  


Louis raised his eyebrows. “What do you think?”

  


Harry whined, bottom lip jutting out adorably. “I asked you first.”

  


Louis leaned closer, biting his bottom lip playfully, making him squeal. Harry slapped his chest lightly, giggling. Louis smiled. “We won, of course.”

  


Harry beamed, his face brightening up like a child getting candies and threw his arms around Louis’ neck to wrap him in a firm hug. “Congratulations! I knew you lads would smash it.”

  


Louis patted Harry’s back softly, laughing. “Thanks, baby. And I’m sorry for not wishing your birthday first thing in the morning.” He kissed Harry full on the lips, soft and gentle. “Had to do that for this plan to work.”

  


Harry kissed him deeply, pulling back a little to grin against his lips. “And it was the best surprise ever.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


With all the mess on Harry’s birthday over (Louis had been teasing him when he told him how much he cried, causing him to sulk but failed miserably, grumbling at how smug Louis looked but he curled himself up against him anyway), football practice and school went on as usual. Elise didn’t bother him anymore, and she often avoided being in the same space as him. He remembered one time when he bumped into her, and Elise just took a quick glance before scurrying away. And it felt peaceful for a while, with no one threatening his relationship with Louis.

  


Sometimes, they saw Elise and Rick together, being all lovey-dovey, uncaring of the observing eyes. They were going to leave school soon anyway, so they took advantage of the remaining months to stir gossip about them, making them look like the ‘it’ couple. Rick would occasionally send death glares to Louis specifically, but Louis shot back with the same intensity, refused to back down. Other than the glaring contest and the rough shoves that happened every so often, nothing major was happening. Louis said it was probably Elise who told him not to start any unnecessary fight, and honestly, it was a brilliant move.

  


All in all, everything was perfectly fine on the outside.

  


Except it didn’t.

  


After their first win, Coach Morrison had developed more vigorous exercises and practices, so their training often left them exhausted at the end of the day. He experimented different positions with the players, searching for the perfect chemistry and combination that would provide strong defence and offence, making it difficult for the rival team to break through.

  


Louis had told Harry the conversation he had with the coach on the day he got his bruise. Apparently, Coach Morrison and the current captain were watching him more closely, seeing that he was a promising candidate for the position of captain. He was honoured, and Harry could tell that Louis was proud, but at the same time, it added to the pressure he’s feeling. Truthfully, he didn’t care about the position; he just wanted to play, and he’s more than happy to be a regular player.

  


Some days, Harry couldn’t be present during their practice, because one of the employees in Anne’s bakery quitted since she’s going to college, so he took over the job and now he had more working hours than he did before. He was fine with the extra hours, and he could save up more for future use, but he was also aware about the fact that this meant he couldn’t spend much time with Louis. The best they could do were texting, calling, and be in close proximity during classes and lunch. They had sleepovers, often with the lads, but mostly just the two of them, catching up on things they missed. However, as the next match drew closer, they couldn’t afford such luxury anymore, long calls becoming shorter, random texts now simply talking about their exhausting days and a brief good night wish; the time spent in school being his only refuge.

  


And that’s how Harry missed the ‘accident’ during practice one day.

  


Harry was working, but he couldn’t focus. His gut was telling him that something happened during practice, and he often checked his phone for any text as well as looking at the time. It was now 7pm, and practice should have ended 30 minutes prior. Usually, Louis would text him right after practice, or the lads would be spamming the group chat with stories from their practice. However, none of that happened, and he’s starting to get worried. He still had 2 more hours before the bakery closed, so he tried to be productive to distract himself by tending to the customers, cleaning the tables and counters, sweeping the floor, arranging the display neatly, taking the trash out, and it worked. He had successfully occupied the last two hours, and by the time he reached home, he still didn’t receive any news from the lads, so he quickly dialled Louis’ number, heart beating rapidly against his chest. At the first click, he immediately called out.

  


“Lou?”

  


There was a pause at the other end, before someone cleared his throat. “Hey, H.”

  


Harry frowned. “Zayn? Why did you answer Lou’s phone?” He heard shuffling and then the door closing, Zayn sighing deeply, making him feel even more anxious. “Z, where is he?”

  


He could sense that Zayn was struggling to answer based on the long pause and the silent curses falling past his lips. “Zayn, please tell me.” Harry sounded desperate, and he felt the tears threatening to drop, bottom lip quivering dangerously. “Where is he, Z? Did something happen to him?” His voice was cracking as he pushed Zayn for answers. Zayn finally let out a huge breath, his own voice laced with frustration and worry.

  


“In the hospital, Harry.”

  


Harry’s face paled, his mind stopped working. “W-what?”

  


“He’s in the hospital, H. Something happened during practice, and he’s now being treated.”

  


Harry instantly panicked, his breathing catching up speeds, and his chest was constricting painfully. His mind was whirring with thousands scenarios of Louis laying on the hospital bed with all kinds of machines stuck to him, motionless. Zayn noticed the change in Harry’s breathing, muttering “shit” under his breath and quickly went inside Louis’ room as the doctor was leaving. He shoved the phone to Louis who wore a puzzled expression.

  


“Quick, Lou. H’s having his panic attack!”

  


Louis widened his eyes, swiftly putting the phone over his ear. “Hazza, love, can you hear me?”

  


“L-Lou… I-I c-can’t…”

  


Louis could only hear distinct, shallow breathing but he knew Harry was listening even if he couldn’t speak much, so he continued coaxing him with gentle tone. “Harry, take a deep breath, in for 5, out for 10.” As Harry tried to regulate his breathing, Louis whispered soothing words to him. “You’re doing great, baby, you’re okay. I’m here. Keep going.”

  


Harry listened to the low, calming timbre of Louis’ voice as he felt his panic attack subsiding, his mind clearing up. Slowly, his constricted heart loosened, and his throat was opening up again, easing the oxygen to enter his lungs. Once he deemed himself stable enough, he tried to talk, wincing a bit when his voice cracked.

  


“L-Lou?”

  


“I’m here, Haz.”

  


Harry’s dam broke. _He’s finally talking to Louis._ “Lou… I want to see you…”

  


Louis sighed. “Not right now, Hazza. Visiting hours ended not long ago.” He heard Harry sniffling, and he cooed. “Shh, baby. Please don’t cry. I’m okay, and I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?”

  


“B-but y-you were i-injured!” He let out a pained sob, and Louis’ heart broke. “A-And I-I d-didn’t even k-know!”

  


“Harry, love, listen to me.” His tone was so gentle; like he was talking to a small child. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to worry you, baby, and I told the lads to keep quiet.” He closed his eyes as Harry kept sobbing, wanting nothing more than to hug him until he stopped crying. “Look, you can come tomorrow to visit me, yeah? I’ll tell you everything.”

  


He knew Harry took the bait, considering that the broken sobs had now turned into soft sniffles. “Promise?” His voice was so quiet, and Louis smiled.

  


“Promise.” He heard Harry yawning, and he grinned as the image of adorable, sleepy Harry came into his mind. “Tired, Hazza?”

  


“Yeah. But I haven’t showered yet. A-And, um…”

  


Louis smiled. “What is it love?” He could picture Harry nibbling his bottom lip, playing with the hem of his shirt like how he always did whenever he was nervous.

  


“C-Can we… um… t-talk until I-I fall asleep?”

  


“Sure thing, baby. Just text me when you’re finished, and I’ll call you back yeah?”

  


“Okay. I’ll be quick.”

  


He chuckled when Harry immediately ended the call, and he put his phone on the bedside table, resting his head on the pillow. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Zayn smiling smugly, and he rolled his eyes.

  


“What, Z?”

  


“Nothing.” He shrugged, but the smirk remained. “Just amazed at how _whipped_ you are.”

  


Louis flipped him off, but smiled nonetheless. “I am. So please just go home, Z. I don’t need you eavesdropping on my conversation with Harry later.”

  


Zayn snorted, picking up his bag. “Rude. I was the one who brought you here.”

  


“Thank you, Sir Malik. I truly am thankful for your kindness.” He lifted his head and bowed it a little, smirking. “Without your help, I would be _dead._ ”

  


“Fuck off, Lou.” He laughed, slapping his shoulder lightly before walking to the door and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  


Louis smiled. “Yeah, thanks, Z. I mean it.”

  


Zayn waved him off, closing the door and left. Louis looked at his bandaged ankle, grimacing as he tried to move a bit. “Fuck it hurts.” He fell back onto the pillow, staring at the plain white ceiling. The light was turned off, so the only source of light was the gleaming moonlight coming in through the clear window, dim but enough to illuminate the room. It was eerily silent; the only sound was of the muffled footsteps of the nurses and doctor on duty. He recalled the event that led him to this hospital bed.

  


_He ran across the field, watching the ball intently as he tried to find the perfect opportunity to steal the ball. The practice would end soon, and his coach was expecting a lot from him. The pressure on his shoulders was overwhelming, but he focused more on the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he saw the chance to steal the ball from the opponent. He ran towards him, before he was roughly shoved by someone, causing him to stumble to his side._

_“Oops, sorry, Tomlinson.” He looked up to the culprit, groaning. “Better be careful next time.”_

_Peter smirked and resumed his running, so Louis stood up and quickly picked up his pace, seeing that Niall was now running with the ball, looking side to side to find someone to pass the ball to. His team was winning the practice, but as a few players approached him, he needed to pass the ball fast._

_“Niall!”_

_Niall glanced towards him, nodding as he expertly avoided the tackles and kicked the ball to Louis’ direction. His eyes were fixed on the ball, sprinting when he felt a sharp pain at his left ankle, making him fall on the hard ground with a loud thud._

_“Fuck!”_

_His face was contorted in pain, groaning as he brought his knee up, clasping his hands around his ankle. He screamed, his teammates and coach quickly running to his side as he slowly rolled to his side, trying to alleviate the pain but failed._

_“Horan, go find an ice pack, quick!”_

_Niall nodded frantically, running to find the ice pack. Zayn was kneeling beside him, worriedly looking at him while Liam pushed Peter harshly._

_“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”_

_“It’s just a tackle, Payne. No big deal.” He smirked, looking down at Louis who had an arm over his eyes, flinching in pain. “If he can’t even handle that, he’s unfit to be in the team.”_

_Liam balled the collar of his jersey tightly, pure anger radiating in his eyes. “Just a tackle? You sprained his ankle, you fucker!”_

_“Enough!” Coach Morrison boomed, looking pointedly at the two. “Davies, you won’t be playing for the next match.” He glared at Peter, and his smirk faltered. “Payne, you’ll take over Tomlinson’s position in the game.” Liam nodded, shoving Peter as he released his grip on his collar. Peter looked over them with hatred before stomping away, and Niall came with an ice pack. “Thanks, Horan.”_

_Coach Morrison put the ice on his ankle, keeping his leg in place when Louis flinched, muffling his shouts by biting his bottom lip, eyes clenching shut tightly._

_“Let’s take him to the hospital.”_

  


The sound of a text notification startled Louis, taking him out of the horrible recollection. He took the phone, smiling when Harry said he was ready to talk. He would worry about the game and his injury later, but now, he just wanted to entertain his boyfriend. He dialled his number, grinning when Harry picked up at the first ring.

  


“Hey baby.”

  


They talked about their day, making sure to steer away from Louis’ injury as it would upset them both. Harry fell asleep first, lulled by Louis’ soft humming, and at the sound of Harry’s evened breathing, Louis soon drifted off to a peaceful slumber, dreaming of a certain curly lad.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Right after school, Harry briefly said goodbye to Niall and Liam, urging Zayn to hurry even though Zayn was the one driving. He laughed when Harry walked so quickly, impressed that he didn’t even stumble on his feet as they crossed the school parking lot to his car.

  


“Relax, H. Louis isn’t going anywhere.”

  


Harry glared. “I know, but I want to be there, and _quick._ ” He huffed when Zayn chuckled. “Come on, Z.”

  


“So bossy.”

  


The ride there was silent, with Harry nervously tapping his thigh while looking out the window. Zayn glanced over to him, smirking but said nothing. As soon as Zayn parked, Harry sprinted out of the car and into the hospital, ignoring the fit of giggles falling past Zayn’s lips. He searched for Louis’ room, and pushed the handle down, revealing a relaxed Louis. Louis snapped his head towards the door, breaking into a huge grin as he opened his arms wide.

  


“Come here, Hazza.”

  


Harry stood there breathless, tears gathering in his eyes as he could finally see the beautiful cerulean eyes in person, after a full day at school without seeing and hearing his raspy voice, as well as the brilliant grin that caused the crinkles at the corner of his eyes to appear. He rushed forward into Louis’ arms, burying his face in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arms around his neck tightly. Louis hugged him just as firmly, inhaling the smell of his shampoo and his favourite cologne on the boy.

  


“I miss you, Lou.”

  


“Oh, that rhymed, love.” Louis winced a bit when Harry pulled his hair, a warning. He giggled. “Okay, I’m sorry.” He rubbed Harry’s back softly, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple. “I miss you too. So much.”

  


He heard Harry giggle softly, and _oh, how he missed to hear that in person._ It’s scary how attached he was to the curly boy he had just met six months ago, but he couldn’t care less. Not when he’s safe in his arms, and the fact that he could hold and kiss the boy whenever he wanted. They pulled away, Harry quickly inspecting his ankle. He touched it tenderly, jerking his hand away when Louis hissed, turning his head to Louis.

  


“How long?”

  


Louis groaned. “The doctor said more or less than a month, because it’s quite a strong tackle.” He rolled his eyes in annoyance. “So I need bedrest, light exercises, and I’ll be ready to go when I can walk without limping.”

  


Harry shifted closer to Louis, intertwining their fingers together and putting the joined hands on his lap, staring into his eyes. “How did this happen, Lou?”

  


Before Louis could say anything, Zayn coughed. They both whipped their heads around, surprised to see him there, leaning against the door. “Just so you know, Lou, H basically dragged me to my car, bossed me around and sprinted to your room just as I parked.” Harry blushed, casting his eyes down to his lap, nibbling his bottom lip while Louis raised his eyebrows in amusement. “I didn’t even get a thank you.”

  


“Thank y-”

  


“You don’t have to, Hazza.” Louis interjected, smirking at Zayn who flipped him off. “Now, I’d like to have a moment with _my_ boyfriend, so will you please excuse yourself, Z?”

  


Zayn cackled, turning to close the door. “No wonder H is becoming more and more like you.”

  


Louis laughed as Harry blushed crimson, and he mouthed a “thank you” to Zayn just before he left, earning a grin and a nod and closed the door. Louis directed his attention to Harry, ducking down his head to find his eyes. “Hazza?”

  


Harry looked up slowly, and Louis followed the movement with a smile. “Can we please talk about it now?” There’s a hint of desperation in Harry’s voice, his eyebrows creased with worry, and Louis sighed.

  


“We were practicing, as always, but I noticed that Peter was getting more aggressive towards me.” Harry’s breath hitched. “He would _purposely_ collide against me, and he even pushed me for no reason. He smirked when I fell, and I swear I wanted to punch the fuck out of him right there and then, but I couldn’t.” He reached over, brushing his fingers to the lines between Harry’s eyebrows, easing them. “Coach Morrison was watching me, so I stood up and upped my game. I saw Niall dribbling the ball, struggling to find someone to pass the ball to, and I happened to be the nearest, with nobody following me. I called his name, and he passed the ball but before I could reach it, Peter tackled me _hard_ , and it _fucking_ hurt.”

  


Harry felt his anger rising, and he unconsciously gripped their interlocked hands tighter, making Louis flinch. “Fuck, sorry Lou.” He soothed the hand, rubbing it softly. “What happened to him then? Please tell me Coach Morrison punished him.”

  


Louis nodded. “Liam almost got into a fight with him, but Coach stopped them. He benched Peter for the next game, and Liam took over my position.” He sighed, relaxing back into the bed, trying to get comfortable in sitting position. “It’s our third game, and I’m missing it out.”

  


Harry stared at Louis who was looking out the window, his face glum. He knew it’s been hard on Louis, and he knew Peter aimed to kick Louis out of the team, but he just didn’t expect this. He was expecting rough shoves, but _ankle sprain?_ If he could inflict this damage to Louis, who knew what other injury he could cause.

  


“Lou…” Harry started, his voice shaky. Louis immediately straightened up, caressing his cheek gently with his free hand, worriedly looking at Harry.

  


“What’s wrong, babe?”

  


He shook his head, tears threatening to fall down. “I’m scared… I’m scared of what Peter can do…” He looked at Louis with blurry eyes. “It’s an ankle sprain this time, but who knows what else he can do to you.” His breathing picked up. “He’s been benched, he’s going to get revenge on you, Lou… he would- what if- not just-”

  


Louis enveloped him in a warm embrace, running his hand up and down, the other hand brushing his curls. He felt warm tears falling onto his collarbone, and he kissed the outer shell of Harry’s ear, keeping his lips there. “Breathe, Hazza.”

  


Harry took a deep breath, letting the low timbre of Louis’ voice washed over him, taking over his worked up nerves, sending calming sensation down his spine. He burrowed his face deeper into Louis neck. “What if… he hurts you… more than _this?_ ”

  


Louis pondered for a moment, thinking of the appropriate response for that. He sighed, pulling back but Harry tightened his grip, as if he was afraid that he’d lose Louis even if he let go for a second.

  


“Hazza, love, I want to see your face, please.”

  


Louis’ voice was so gentle, easily coaxing Harry into complying. He smiled as Harry’s emerald eyes came into view, beautiful as ever even when tears filled them. If anything, the tears accentuated the shine in his eyes, and Louis couldn’t help but fall for him all over again. He brought his hands up, cupping his face and thumbing the tears away.

  


“I know you’re scared and worried, but babe, I play football, and even if Peter wasn’t around, there’s no guarantee that I won’t be injured in any other way.”

  


Harry shook his head. “But at least that happened naturally, not caused by someone.”

  


“How can you be sure that I won’t be injured by someone else, even if it happens accidentally?”

  


Harry stayed silent, repeating Louis’ words in his mind. Louis was right, in sports, injuries couldn’t be avoided, and even if he knew this was purposely caused by Peter, if he put Peter out of the picture, Louis would still be hurt from the wrong footing, falling down (shoved or his own stumbling), or even when he landed wrongly after jumping to avoid a tackle. And someone could accidentally harm him, so no one could assure Harry that Louis would be safe. He looked down, pouting.

  


“Still, Peter has a bad agenda in mind, and he’s a threat for your team.”

  


Louis clasped their hands together, and brought them to his lips. Harry’s eyes followed the gesture, heart blooming in affection. “I know, babe.” He stared right into Harry’s eyes. “I’ll keep an eye for him, and if anything, the team still has Niall, Liam, and other remarkable players. I will be more careful, but in this sport, nothing is guaranteed, and I need you to understand that.” Louis searched Harry’s eyes. “Can you do that for me, love?”

  


Harry weighed all options in his head. If he had the power to decide, he wouldn’t want Louis to continue playing, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Louis had been playing football most of his life, and he wouldn’t be a good boyfriend if he stopped him. He was scared, _so fucking scared_ , but he knew Louis needed his support. And he’d do just that.

  


“Okay.” He nodded, voice quiet. “I can do that. I’ll support you, but please, be wary of Peter.” He pleaded with Louis, eyes laced with concern, voice coated with desperation. “He’s _dangerous._ ”

  


Louis kissed his forehead. “I will, baby. And thank you.”

  


They spent the remaining time of the visiting hours talking, and at some point, all his siblings came, along with Dan. Ernie and Doris sat on the bed on either side of Louis, resting their heads on his shoulders as they talked about their day, tiny fingers playing with Louis’ hair. They all took turns, and for once, Harry smiled genuinely, taking in the sight in front of him, happiness spreading inside him, warmth filling his senses. Liam, Niall and Zayn came in after practice, laughing and joking, sometimes sharing some gossips from school and practice. When the visiting hours ended, they all wished him speedy recovery, and Harry lingered a little while longer when everyone else went out. He stood beside Louis, hands gripping Louis’ tightly, reluctant to let go.

  


Louis smiled, tightening the grip. “Hazza, I’ll be fine yeah? Go home for now, and come back tomorrow, okay?”

  


Harry nodded slowly, leaning down for a kiss. Louis met him halfway, pressing soft, but passionate kisses before pulling away slowly, foreheads sticking together.

  


“Can we talk again tonight?”

  


Louis giggled, nodding. “Of course, baby.” He kissed his forehead, thumbing his cheek. “Until you fall asleep.”

  


Harry smiled, pecking his lips one more time, unclasping their hands and walked out. He glanced behind him at the door, waving at Louis who waved back before closing the door and strode to where Zayn, Liam and Niall were waiting. Niall smiled tightly, bringing Harry into a warm hug.

  


“He’ll be okay, Harry. It’s just a sprain.”

  


Harry nodded against Niall’s neck, appreciating the support he received from his friends. On the way back, he couldn’t help but think about Peter, and other ways he could use to hurt Louis. Now that he’s benched for one game, he knew Peter would seek revenge, and he had a nagging feeling that a storm was brewing, one that would undoubtedly tear the team apart.

  


He just hoped he would be there when that happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was pissed with the obvious and horribly staged narrative surrounding Harry and Olivia, but people made memes out of the pap pics which cracked me up so it's becoming more bearable each day :D
> 
> Zayn released a new single entitled Vibez! Have you listened to it? It was amazing! And I can't wait for the full album on Jan 15th!
> 
> Liam did a live too, but unfortunately, I didn't watch it :( apparently they talked about 1D, LP Show Final Act (I bought the tickets!), and Louis <3 LiLo supremacy!
> 
> But all things aside, I'd love to know your thoughts on this chapter! Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry it took me quite some time to update, these past few days had been hectic and I was dealing with major mood swing that affected my whole motivation to write, but I want to thank all of you for sticking with this story and supporting it by giving kudos, hitting bookmark, and of course, the lovely comments that always kept me going <3
> 
> This chapter is shorter, and I'm really sorry if it's crappy :( I promise it'll get better, but for now, I give you another part of the wicked plan in-the-making.
> 
> I hope you'll still enjoy reading it! Stay safe everyone! xx
> 
> (p/s: It's Zayn's birthday today! Literally two days after mine and I'm so proud to be of the same star sign as him and Louis <3 stream Vibez loves!)

# Rivalry

### 

Louis made it in time for their exam, even though he had to use a crutch. He had been complaining to the doctor about how he felt good with his ankle since he followed the painstaking exercises planned for him, and once he could put his weight on his ankle without being in too much pain, the doctor finally allowed him to go home. But he was told to wait until he was fully recovered if he wanted to play football, which he rolled his eyes on but got scolded by the doctor. He reluctantly agreed, and day by day, he felt his ankle getting stronger, and soon enough, he was able to walk without any help. He still couldn’t run, but he could at least jog, and that’s good enough for him. He hoped he would make it in time for their next match because honestly, he missed football.

  


He heard from Zayn that Peter had made his move on Harry, but Harry didn’t freeze like he did before, instead, he fought back whether using words or hands, and Louis couldn’t be prouder. He knew Harry was sticking to his new year’s resolution, and considering that he’s already on his way to be able to defend himself was a huge step to his progress. He was still worried, and he would jump into action if Peter did anything to Harry, but while he was recovering, he couldn’t really do much, so he was thankful that Harry could at least fend him off.

  


Harry visited him one day at home when Dan went to work, offering to help him with his siblings. The moment Harry walked into the house, four young children immediately lunged forward, making him fall flat on his back. Luckily, he had his backpack on, acting as a cushion to decrease the impact.

  


“Harry!” Four voices exclaimed happily, two on both his hands and two more at his legs. Doris and Ernie quickly crawled upwards, straddling his torso while Phoebe and Daisy pinned him down by sitting on his arms. They were all sporting toothy grins, visibly happy to see him. Harry laughed.

  


“Hey guys. I never knew you’re this excited to see me.”

  


They giggled cutely. “Silly Harry, of course we’re excited!” Phoebe beamed, moving to his head to play with his curls. “When Lou said you’re coming over, we couldn’t stop ourselves from jumping around, and it annoyed him so much.” She shot a look to Daisy and they looked over to Louis who was leaning against the doorway, grinning.

  


“Yeah, you lot were _overly_ energetic.” He rolled his eyes, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “He’s my boyfriend, you know. He came here to see me, not you.”

  


“No way! You’re lying!” Daisy widened her eyes, glaring towards Louis who just stuck his tongue out, and turned her attention to Harry, her eyes big. “Harry, tell me he’s lying!”

  


Doris and Ernie looked at Harry with wide, doe eyes, and those blue orbs melted Harry right away. “Harry don’t want to see us?”

  


Harry glared towards Louis who just smirked, and he diverted his gaze to the twins comfortably sitting on his torso, smiling. “Of course I want to see you. Lou’s just joking around, and I actually came here for you, not him.”

  


Louis’ jaw dropped open, pretending to be hurt. “How dare you, Hazza, treating a patient like this.” The twins giggled adorably, while Harry just grinned. Louis watched with fond eyes as the twins fussed over Harry, asking questions and untangling the knots in his curls delicately. He soon saw Harry getting uncomfortable lying on the hard floor, so he walked over and lifted Doris and Ernie. “Alright lovelies, up you go.” They protested, but Louis just raised his eyebrows. “If you sit on him any longer, he’ll get hurt love, so be a dear and bring him to the living room yeah?”

  


The youngest twins grinned and quickly helped Harry to get up along with Phoebe and Daisy, each of them pulling his limbs, and Louis cackled at how Harry struggled to keep his balance as he was dragged, blowing a kiss when Harry glared at him, beaming when Harry blushed a pretty shade of pink. He followed them but made his way to the kitchen instead, making tea for him and Harry. He glanced into the living room, smiling fondly when he saw Harry bonding with his siblings effortlessly, entertaining whatever story they told him.

  


Louis was waiting for the water to boil when he felt a pair of arms winding around his waist and a mop of curls tickling his ear. He smiled. “What is it, baby?”

  


Harry hugged him tighter, cheeks pressed against his shoulder blades. “Just want to hold you.”

  


Louis cooed, turning around to face Harry and brought him into his arms, one hand caressing his curls while the other rubbing his back up and down. He kissed the top of Harry’s head, nuzzling his nose into the sweet scent of vanilla. “I know there’s more to it, babe.”

  


Harry sighed in his arms, warm breath tickling his skin. “Yeah, and it’s worrying.”

  


Louis took a deep breath, glancing over to his siblings who were talking animatedly about the TV show with each other before pulling back and stared into Harry’s emerald eyes, his expression serious as he caressed his cheek. “We’ll talk when everyone’s asleep, okay? For now, let’s hang out with them or else they’ll cause a riot because I stole _their_ Harry.” He rolled his eyes while Harry just giggled. “Even though you’re _my_ boyfriend.”

  


Harry laughed, his cheeks sporting a faint blush. He helped Louis to make tea, and they brought it to the living room, Doris and Ernie immediately crawling into Harry’s lap and leaned against his chest. Phoebe and Daisy were tucked under Louis’ arms comfortably, heads on his shoulders while Lottie and Fizzy were both on either side of Louis’ legs, leaning against them on the floor. They watched the telly together, talking and laughing and when the clock struck 9, Doris and Ernie were fast asleep on Harry’s lap, Phoebe and Daisy nodding off and waking up repeatedly, which prompted Louis to carry them to their rooms, tucking them and kissing their foreheads. Harry did the same with the youngest twins, and soon it’s just them four in the living room, cleaning and keeping the toys into their respective boxes. By the time the space was all cleaned, the two girls were yawning, and they said their good night to both Harry and Louis, retreating to their room. Louis tilted his head to the side.

  


“Come on up.”

  


Despite this not being the first time Harry went to the Tomlinson household, it was indeed his first time staying over, and he was a tad bit nervous. He timidly followed Louis upstairs to the door at the end of the hallway. Louis glanced behind, making sure Harry was still there, and to be honest, he was quite on edge as well but he brushed it off and opened the room to his door.

  


“This is my room. It’s a bit messy, sorry.”

  


Louis sheepishly nudged the scattered clothes to the side, scooping and putting them into the laundry basket. Harry looked around the spacious but simple room – a queen-sized bed that was pushed against the wall with navy blue bedsheet and comforter, a white nightstand beside it with a lamp on top, a built-in white closet situated across the bed, a long, rectangular mirror with a hanging compartment at the foot of the bed, a sturdy and huge square study desk with a laptop perched on it next to the nightstand, and a white door which Harry assumed leading to the bathroom. The walls were painted sky blue, square sliding windows that spread from the top of the bed to the nightstand, and Harry loved it. It screamed _Louis_ , and he felt like he was a part of Louis’ childhood, which made it a little more _intimate_ , and he smiled.

  


“It’s nothing much, but it’s calming enough.” Louis said, surveying the room as if it was his first time entering it, when in reality, he wanted Harry to like it as much as he did, because this was where he grew up, and it’s his most private space.

  


Harry looked at him, wonder glinting in his eyes. “I loved it. I can feel you all over this room, and it’s making me feel _safe_.”

  


Louis beamed, taking Harry by the waist and kissed his cheek, smirking when Harry blushed. “Thank you, babe. I’m glad that it can be the source of your safety.”

  


Harry smiled shyly, ducking his head and fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Louis took Harry’s backpack and put it on the table. “Go and take a shower, love.” He rummaged his closet, glancing over his shoulder. “Do you want to wear something of mine or yours?”

  


Harry pondered, tilting his chin up before meeting Louis’ eyes. “Um… something of yours please.”

  


Louis chuckled, taking out a pair of sweatpants, a grey sweatshirt and a pair of boxers, handing them to Harry. “Take your time, yeah? Need to get you all comfy before talking all night long.” He winked, kissing the top of his nose. Harry giggled and walked into the bathroom, and soon, Louis heard Harry humming a melody he knew by heart, since it was in one of the songs he compiled in the playlist. Louis smiled, his heart blooming with affection, and it burst with fondness when he saw a fresh-looking Harry in his clothes, his curls springing wildly on top of his head.

  


“I like your clothes.” Harry pulled the neckline to his nose. “Smells like you.”

  


Louis laughed, standing to ruffle his curls, making him pout adorably. “Of course it smells like me, Hazza, it’s _mine._ ”

  


Harry rolled his eyes, lightly batting his arm. “You know what I mean.”

  


Louis brought his hands up in defence, giggling. “Of course. Now get comfy, I’ll be out in a moment.” He kissed his lips and went inside the bathroom. Harry stood there, warmth travelling down his body, filling him with overflowing affection for the blue-eyed boy. He put his clothes in the basket and sat comfortably on the bed, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed. He looked out to the window, admiring the brilliant gleam of the moonlight, shining into the room and illuminating it in a dim light. The stars were twinkling in the dark sky, small flock of clouds scattering all over, and Harry felt like it’s a magnificent painting being brought to life. He was so lost in thoughts that he didn’t realise the mattress dipping beside him until a cold hand on his thigh startled him, making him turn to the side, finding a pair of cerulean eyes looking at him with so much adoration that he swore he turned into a goo every time their eyes met.

  


“What are you thinking about?”

  


Harry reached out for his hand, locking their fingers together and brushed his knuckles. “Just thought the sky was beautiful, like a painting being brought to life.”

  


Louis hummed, glancing over to the sky and smiled. “It is.”

  


Harry stared at the sweet creature in front of him. He’s brash, outgoing, and got into trouble a lot, but deep down, he’s fiercely protective, and loved like no other. Harry watched as his eyes glinted under the light of the moon, accentuating his prominent cheekbones and sharp jawline, pointing out his cute button nose and highlighting his thin, red lips. Without thinking, he leaned forward and captured those lips, taking Louis by surprise but Louis kissed back, his free hand moving to cradle the back of Harry’s head, gently massaging his scalp. Harry let out a soft moan, immediately going pliant, and Louis took the chance to deepen the kiss, biting his bottom lip and soothing it with a lick, sneakily exploring the warm cavern of Harry’s mouth. Kissing Harry was intoxicating, and Louis couldn’t get enough of his taste. It seemed that the sentiment was returned, as Harry released his hand and snaked his arms around Louis’ neck, pulling their bodies closer, him already sitting on Louis’ lap without any of them realising. They were getting lost in _want,_ each of them kissing the other with such intensity that had Harry grinding down on Louis. Louis grunted, his hands roaming all over Harry’s back and tugged his curls.

  


“Lou…” Harry moaned against his lips, grinding against his thigh. Louis snapped back to reality, finding Harry’s green eyes blown with lust, and he was certain he looked the same, and fuck, Harry looked absolutely sinful with his face flushed and his lips swollen from their passionate kiss.

  


“Harry…” He panted, reluctantly stopped Harry’s grinding, earning a soft whine of protest from the curly boy on top of him. “I’m so sorry baby, but we can’t do this now.”

  


Harry whined, desperately seeking the friction but his movement was restricted by Louis’ strong grip on his hips. “Lou… Please…”

  


Louis pressed a soft kiss to his lips, hands coming up to cup his face, staring right into the dilated emerald eyes, “Hazza, love, not now, but later, yeah?”

  


Harry pouted, nodding slowly before hiding his face in the crook of Louis’ neck. Their hearts were beating fast, and Louis enveloped Harry in a warm hug as to calm them both, slowly shifting so he could lean against the headboard and Harry could lay against his chest. For a while, they just lay there in silence, holding each other tight, until Louis broke it.

  


“Hazza, what happened in school?”

  


Harry sighed, burying his face against Louis’ chest. “I don’t know, Lou. Things seem to be… different in the team.”

  


Louis furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean by _different_?”

  


Harry glanced up. “You know Peter is back in practice, and Liam’s taking over your position for the time being?” Louis nodded, not understanding where the conversation was going. “Aside from Peter being a little shit to me-”

  


Louis seethed. “He better not be touching you, babe.”

  


“No, I never gave him the chance.” Louis nodded, but there was still fire in his eyes. “Liam had been working hard, and he looked like he was really aiming for the captain position, Lou.”

  


Louis hummed. “Okay, and?”

  


Harry looked at him unimpressed. “You really don’t understand, do you?”

  


Louis tilted his head to the side, confusion written all over his face. “Understand what?”

  


“Coach Morrison has eyes for you, Keith and Liam for the position, Lou.” Harry sighed in frustration. “For now, he’s just observing the three of you, and if he’s going to hold a selection, he’ll do that before Lucas goes to college, meaning that this year will be his last year being captain.”

  


Louis gestured for him to continue. “What I’m trying to tell you is, while Keith has no interest in claiming that position, Liam, on the other hand, is being very competitive, and while he’s improving himself on the field, Coach Morrison and Lucas are still waiting for you.”

  


“So, you meant to say-”

  


Harry nodded. “Liam _wants_ that position, but he’s getting frustrated. I overheard him talking to Zayn the other day.”

  


Louis groaned. “I don’t care about the position, Haz. All I want is to play.”

  


“I know, Lou, but Coach and the current captain have other plans for you.” Harry put his forehead against Louis’ shoulder. “I saw the look on his face when Coach Morrison talked about you after practice. The team was happy to have you back, but that’s not the case with some of your teammates.”

  


“What do you mean, Harry?”

  


Harry slowly pulled back, staring right into his eyes and sighed. “Niall told me that the team is splitting into two; one that supports you, and another that supports Liam. Nothing major is happening now, since you’re not back yet, and no matter how much I tried to convince myself that Liam won’t do anything that will jeopardise your friendship, I can’t overlook the jealousy in his eyes, Lou.”

  


“And you think he will do something?”

  


“We all do.” Harry bit his bottom lip, nervously glancing from Louis’ eyes to his hands. “But I don’t think Liam will go as far as hurting you, and the fact that Peter had started to pick up the shift is making matters worse.”

  


Louis widened his eyes. “Fuck…”

  


Harry nodded. “If not Liam, Peter will undoubtedly take the role.”

  


Louis leaned his head back, groaning. He had so much on his plate, and now even the team was facing this kind of bullshit. He desperately wanted to believe that Liam would never hurt him, but reminiscing the fight they had all those years ago, he knew it could happen again. He was frustrated and angry; he just wanted to play football, _so why must he deal with something mundane like this?_

  


Harry watched as Louis contemplated all the choices he had in his mind. He could feel the stress and the disbelief, as well as the frustration that was building up from the information he had just received. Harry, with all his heart, believed that Liam wouldn’t do anything to sabotage Louis, but fights would surely happen between them, no matter how small. And having Peter in the team wasn’t helping either. Peter was seriously a threat and a stick in the mud, slowly poisoning the team with his obsession to kick Louis out.

  


Louis closed his eyes before looking at the disgruntled Harry. He cupped his face tenderly, staring right into the moon-reflected emerald orbs. “Harry.”

  


Harry gulped. “Yeah?”

  


Louis was silent for a while, just staring into his eyes without a word. The silence was deafening, the wait was stressful, and his heavy gaze made Harry squirmed within Louis’ hold before he was taken into a warm, tight embrace.

  


“I’ll get back to the team and see for myself, okay?” Louis whispered softly into Harry’s ear, one hand cradling his head and another moving up and down his back. “Whatever it is, I’m not going to give up my place in the team, and this rivalry won’t make any difference.” He took a deep breath, looking up to the ceiling. “If push comes to shove, I’ll fight back, but there’s only one thing I won’t tolerate about.”

  


Harry’s heart was beating wildly, and his question came out in a soft whisper. “What is it?”

  


Louis tightened his hold, burying his face against Harry’s shoulder. “You.”

  


Harry was on the verge of tears, warmth flooding his entire being as he listened to Louis. “Football is my dream, always will be, but you’re important to me, Haz. And that means I can’t and won’t give up on you too, no matter what.” Harry buried his face in the crook of Louis’ neck, attempting to stop the tears from falling. “I’ll see the severity in the team once I’m back, but I won’t play by Liam’s rules. And I won’t let Peter have his ways too.”

  


“But you can’t control everything, Lou.”

  


Harry’s voice was muffled, but Louis heard him. _He always did._ “I know, babe. I’ll try to the best of my ability to avoid a full-blown fight, is all.”

  


They went silent after that, lost in their own thoughts. Harry was still visualising scenarios where Louis was left bruised and battered, getting into a fight with Peter or/and Liam, or worse, seeing Louis and Liam sending death glares to each other when they were once best mates. Louis, on the other hand, was deeply thinking how to avoid disastrous catastrophes that would surely happen, still not believing that Liam would do anything, but the possibility was there. He would worry about that later, but for now, he just wanted to hold the curly lad.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


As expected, things became messy the moment Louis stepped into practice, with majority of them cheering for him, and a small fraction of the team visibly sighed. Louis ignored the pang in his chest when he saw the distaste among his own teammates, focusing on the ones who were actually glad to have him back. In the midst of the cheering, Coach Morrison patted his back, beaming proudly.

  


“Good to have you back, Tomlinson.”

  


Louis grinned. “Great to be back, Coach.”

  


Coach Morrison raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. “You think you’re ready to play?”

  


“Bring it on.”

  


Coach Morrison nodded, clapping his hands to grab their attention. “Alright, Tomlinson’s back, so Payne, you’re back to your original position.” Louis watched as Liam nodded curtly, his jaw tight. “Show me how much all of you want to win the next match in this session, you hear me?”

  


“Yes Coach!”

  


“Good. Now get your asses out there and play!”

  


Niall nudged Louis, grinning brightly. “It’s really nice to have you back, Tommo! Been too lonely around here.” Louis laughed as they jogged alongside each other. “Not to mention, it’s weird.” Niall looked around cautiously, inching closer to Louis to whisper. “The tension between everyone is so damn thick it’s suffocating.”

  


Louis shrugged. “Maybe because of the game.”

  


Niall looked at him with a serious expression. “I doubt that.”

  


“Look, Ni.” They stopped halfway through their positions. “I know there’s something going on, Harry told me.” Niall nodded. “But I can’t let it shake me after so long. I’m going to play my best, and nothing will take that away from me.”

  


Niall sighed, turning to run but glanced towards Louis. “I know, Lou, but just… be careful.”

  


With that, Niall sprinted to his position, and before Louis could run, someone elbowed him hard, making him wobble but he managed to keep his balance. He turned, anger rising when he saw Peter smirking at him, glancing to his ankle and up to his face again.

  


“Thank God I didn’t tackle you that _bad_ , huh?”

  


Louis glared at him. “Shut the fuck up, Davies.” His voice low, venomous. “It’ll take more than a tackle to get rid of me.”

  


Peter’s smirk widened, and he leaned forward, faces inches apart. “I’ll do just that.”

  


He left with a final smirk, running to his position. Louis followed his movement with a huff of frustration, trying to calm himself. He was glad that Harry wasn’t here today, or he wouldn’t hear the end of it from the curly boy about his worries. He chuckled lightly, imagining the concern etched on his boy’s face before brushing it off and went to the designated spot for him. Liam was on the other team in today’s practice, and he noticed the unusual hardness on his face whenever they locked eyes. Louis matched his expression, both boys getting serious as the session started. Louis dribbled the ball when Niall passed it to him, running with the ball expertly tucked on his feet, looking over to find someone but saw Peter instead, running full force towards him so he swerved and successfully avoided the particularly hard tackle Peter was aiming for. He continued running, saw his teammate with no one trailing him so he kicked the ball hard, heaving a sigh of relief as it reached him without any problem and scored. They cheered and formed a small huddle, jumping on his back to celebrate. As Coach Morrison blew the whistle, the practice continued and this time, Louis was determined to score a goal, and without anyone interrupting his run, he was sure he would score another goal for his team. He dribbled the ball closer to the goalpost and kicked it hard, but someone charged into him hard before he could see where the ball went.

  


“Fuck!”

  


He clutched his side, clenching his eyes when he felt the throb. He curled inwards, trying to ease the pain. He barely registered the buzzing fuss around him until someone turned him to lay on his back.

  


“Louis! Where does it hurt?”

  


Louis couldn’t answer, since the ache was stinging uncomfortably, but he managed to gesture to his side so Niall quickly pulled up his shirt, eyes wide and mouth dropped open at the sight of the already bruised torso, and Louis yelped in pain when Niall tried to touch it, causing him to retract his hand and turned to the coach.

  


“Coach, we need to get him checked.” Niall said frantically, face laced with worry. Coach Morrison sighed and nodded.

  


“Can you get up, Tomlinson?” Louis nodded slowly, tears already gathering at the corner of his eyes. Coach Morrison and Niall carefully pulled him up, wincing when Louis let out low whimpers, face scrunched in pain. Zayn was already waiting at the pitch with his keys, glancing over to Liam who just stood there watching blankly while Peter had a smug smirk on his face. Zayn locked eyes with Liam, giving him the coldest glare before taking Louis’ left arm and swung it over his shoulder, guiding them to the parking lot. Coach Morrison turned to the team.

  


“You lot, continue practicing. Lucas will oversee you.” He glanced to Lucas who nodded. He then pointed at Keith. “You’ll take over Louis’ position until further notice, understand?” Keith nodded, and finally, he rested his eyes on everyone else. “I’ll be back soon with a report of Tomlinson’s condition. We’ll see if it’ll change anything then.” He waited until he received a chorus of “yes Coach” and sent a glare towards Peter before hurrying back to Zayn’s car, following them to the hospital.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“What the fuck is wrong with Peter?”

  


Zayn was in Louis’ room, pacing around with his hand in his hair, sighing in frustration. “And Li, too. He just fucking _stand_ there and did nothing!”

  


Louis was leaning against the headboard, wincing as he rested his hand on his bandaged side. “I don’t know, Z. But it fucking hurts.”

  


Zayn glared at him, unimpressed. “Of course it fucking _hurts_ , Lou. He charged right into you like a bull, for God’s sake.” He rested his forehead against the window, looking over to the backyard. “It was an ankle sprain last time, and now, it’s your first session back after resting but that fucker really couldn’t wait, huh? He just had to do something else so you can’t get back into the team.”

  


Louis sighed, staring into the ceiling. “I don’t understand his deal, Z. From what I can see, he’s not aiming for the position at all.”

  


Zayn snorted. “He doesn’t care about being captain, Lou, and neither do you.” He turned his body to face Louis. “What he cares about is to get you out of the team, and he couldn’t care less about the methods.”

  


“So what, he gets in the team just so he could get to me?”

  


“Not just you, Lou.” Zayn stared into Louis’ eyes, and Louis gulped. “He _wants_ what you have, and I’m pretty sure he’s provoking you, to test your limits and when you finally break, that’s when he will be fully satisfied.”

  


“And what’s the deal with Liam, Z?”

  


At that, Zayn hardened his gaze. “I don’t fucking know, alright?”

  


Louis scoffed. “You _don’t_ know? He’s your fucking _boyfriend_ , Z! How is it that you don’t know?”

  


Zayn snapped, standing straighter. “I said I don’t know, and that’s final.” His voice was dangerously low, but Louis returned the gaze just as coldly. “Ever since he took over your position, he had been trying to get Coach to notice him, and while he acknowledged his skills, he still hoped for your return. All I know is that he's getting frustrated, something about Coach thinking too highly of you.”

  


“So this stemmed from _jealousy_?”

  


“Maybe, who knows? He didn’t talk that much about practice with me, but I noticed the tense in his jaw and his hardened gaze whenever your name was mentioned during practice.” Zayn’s tone was softer, almost as if he’s contemplating his words. “I think he wants the position, Lou.”

  


Louis sighed. “If he wants it so badly, Z, he can have it. I don’t fucking care.” Louis winced as he adjusted his position to lay on his back. “All I want is to play, so why is it so hard for people to understand? Besides, if Coach is doing a selection, he will do that in June, right before Lucas goes to college, so he has time, doesn’t he?”

  


Zayn raised his eyebrow. “Are you willing to play sloppily then?”

  


Louis turned to glare at Zayn. “Hell no. I won’t jeopardise my future in football just because I don’t want the position.”

  


Zayn sighed, nodding. He knew Louis had been playing football since he was a little child, it was practically his life. He was always his playmate, even though he was horrible at it. He couldn’t count how many times had Louis laughed at him for his falls, but he remembered the fun and laughter they shared together. And he was positive that nothing could ever change Louis’ mind once he made his decision, especially on something that he really loved. His shoulders were slumped as he walked towards Louis, taking the chair and sat beside him, hands clasped on his knees.

  


“Why do these things keep happening to you, Lou?” Zayn shook his head, chuckling. Louis chuckled as well.

  


“I don’t know, Z. Trouble follows me everywhere I go even when all I wanted was to live in peace.”

  


“A trouble magnet, you are.” He flicked Louis’ forehead, giggling when Louis flinched and slapped his arm with the back of his hand. “And you always got me involved somehow.”

  


Louis stared into the ceiling. “I’m sorry, Z. But at the same time, I’m so fucking glad you’re still here.”

  


“I’m not going anywhere, Lou. We’re bound for life.”

  


Louis snorted. “Wow, imagine Harry hearing that, he might get jealous.”

  


Zayn cackled, poking Louis’ bandaged side just to get a reaction from him. Louis scowled, swatting his hand away and curled inwards protectively, glaring at Zayn. “It’ll be nice to see him all jealous though, because he was so fucking scary but adorable when he does.”

  


Louis giggled, imagining the event with Elise that one time. The look on Harry’s face was pure envy, his whole body screaming _“mine, don’t touch”_. “Yeah, he’s cute.”

  


“Yeah, yeah, stop with the heart eyes, it’s gross.” Zayn rolled his eyes to the side, smiling when Louis stuck his tongue out, reaching out to squeeze his shoulders. “No matter what, Lou, I’ve got your back.”

  


Louis squeezed Zayn’s hand, smiling. “Thank you.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


As time passed by, Louis was able to practice unharmed, Peter gave it a rest but occasionally, he would glance back and forth between Louis and Harry (whenever Harry was present) with a smirk which made Louis’ blood boil. He would send a warning glare each time, but Peter was undeterred. He didn’t come close to Harry whenever they were around, but he would intentionally walk up to them and sent flirty winks Harry’s way, looking at him up and down that had Louis almost launching himself onto Peter but was held back by his friends. Peter enjoyed riling him up, that’s for sure, and it’s just a matter of time before all hell breaks loose.

  


“Tomlinson! Payne! Long!”

  


Louis, Keith and Liam snapped their heads to their coach, jogging towards him when he beckoned them over. Practice was still ongoing, they had their fair share of losses and wins in matches (but mostly wins, because their chemistry as a team was impeccable), and Louis wanted nothing more than to keep the winning streak.

  


“Yeah, Coach?”

  


Coach Morrison stared at the three of them, a calculating look in his eyes. “As you know, Price is going to college in September.” The boys nodded. “So there will be an empty spot, and I will be holding a selection, with the three of you as my main choices.” He stared into their eyes, Louis already feeling the pressure based on the look he received from Coach Morrison. “So I will be observing you in the upcoming games, and see how well you play in practice, as well as monitoring how competent you are in leading your teams to victory.” He pointed to them both with his index finger. “Expect being in different teams during practice, because I want to see your leadership skills along with your footwork.”

  


Louis and Liam looked at each other, and Louis could see the heaviness of his gaze; competitive and a hint of… _jealousy_. He sensed the aggressive need to prove oneself taking root inside Liam, and right now, Louis didn’t see the Liam he had been best friends with since all those years ago, but rather, the Liam in front of him now was someone unrecognisable; the once kind, puppy eyes were steely, and even though Louis didn’t sense any malice, for the time being, he was hit with a painful realisation: _they weren’t friends._

  


Keith raised his hand, oblivious to the tension. “Coach?”

  


“Yes?”

  


He cleared his throat. “I’m honoured that you recognised my skills, but I don’t think I’m fit to be a leader, unlike these boys.” He grinned at both Louis and Liam. “I’m much better suited as a team player, Coach, so I suggest you narrow your choices to just between Tomlinson and Payne, because they’re _brilliant_.”

  


Coach Morrison hummed, while Louis and Liam stared at him in shock. “You sure, Long? You have a decent chance.”

  


Keith nodded. “Yeah. A captain is a lot of work, and I don’t think I can shoulder that kind of responsibility.”

  


Coach Morrison nodded in response, tilting his head up before looking back at Keith. “Very well, Long. You may get back into practice. Thank you.”

  


Keith grinned, squeezing both Louis and Liam on their shoulders before taking off. They briefly watched him before Louis and Liam stared into each other’s eyes, eyes hardening.

  


“Up your game, Tomlinson, because I’m not going to lose.” Liam declared, his tone devoid of any emotion. “Not to you.”

  


Louis stared into Liam’s brown eyes, nodding. “Neither will I, Payne.”

  


They both shared the same look and determination, but different goals. While Louis was still holding on to his love on football, Liam felt like being the captain would put him in an advantage, the desire to be recognised overpowered his initial goal. Coach Morrison detected the tension between the two, and he could point out the exact reason for it. He was a bit worried for them both because he had witnessed the best of friends, even _brothers_ , fought for a mere position in the team, and it never ended in a good way. One of them would end up hurting, and he didn’t want that to happen.

  


“Play nice and fair, Tomlinson, Payne. I don’t need any unnecessary fight over this, you hear me?”

  


They broke their eye contact, now facing the coach. They nodded wordlessly before he dismissed them, watching as both boys got back into position, easily blending in with the flow of the practice, dribbling and passing expertly, like they could play with their eyes closed. Louis and Liam could score very well, just a little assistance and they’d work it out, but their difference was apparent in the way they play; while Liam was solely focused on being _picked_ , Louis was simply enjoying the game, always looking up to the sky after each goal to honour his mum. They were both excellent team players and leaders, even Coach Morrison had to admit it, and that’s precisely why he needed to watch them closely in the next few matches, to ensure that he wouldn’t choose the wrong person for such an important role.

  


Out of everyone’s sight, a figure was observing the exchange with a smirk, a plan already in the making. He re-joined the team, his eyes caught on to the silent feud between Louis and Liam, and he smirked wider. And when he saw the shoves and glares between them, his normal smirk turned devilish, seeing the perfect scapegoat and target for his wicked plan. 

  


“Exactly what I needed, Tomlinson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was okay... only God knows how much I fretted over this chapter, but towards the end, I was feeling a little bit better, so I hope it's acceptable to all of you too :)
> 
> Opinions and suggestions are always appreciated! Thank you so much xx


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! A quick update! I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you so much for the comments! They were really uplifting, and I can't thank you enough for making me feel better after the previous chapter :) and thank you too for the kudos and bookmarks! It means the world to me xx
> 
> The competition between our LiLo is getting intense, and it'll get dire before it gets better, alright? So bear with me and don't hate me for this! This is just fiction, and I love LiLo!
> 
> And this is the first time (I think?) that we get to see Harry comforting Louis, so I hope it alleviates the tension a bit ;) whatever it is, I hope you enjoy this! And stay safe everyone! xx

# Wicked

### 

Training became harder for each and every one of them, especially for Louis and Liam. Louis could somehow keep his sanity in check thanks to his siblings, friends, and of course, Harry. Whenever he felt a little bit too overwhelmed, he would show up in front of Harry’s house looking all distressed and Anne would always take him in with open arms, already considering him to be her second son. Niall had been checking up on him too, both in practice and outside school grounds. Zayn had a harder time to do so, torn between his friend and boyfriend, but he never kept Louis at an arm’s length. Every night, he would text or call Louis, much to his annoyance but Harry knew he appreciated it. Louis would always complain about Zayn being a mum, but Harry always noticed the small smile that came along with the complaint, indicating that he loved the attention.

  


Whenever Harry had free time, he would join Zayn at the pitch, intensely watching Louis, Niall and Liam played. He saw that Louis and Liam were both placed in different teams, and he deduced that maybe it was Coach Morrison’s strategy to distinguish their skills, ultimately helping him to make the best choice for their team. Aside from that, he also couldn’t help but be aware of Peter and his overly calm demeanour, raising suspicions within him. Sometimes, Peter sent him a wink and a wicked smirk, subtly pointing towards Louis, as if hinting something, but Harry couldn’t figure out _what_.

  


“Zayn.”

  


Zayn turned towards him. “Yeah?”

  


Harry tilted his head towards Peter who was running around the field, trying to find an opening to steal the ball. “He’s quite _calm_ these days; don’t you think?”

  


“Who, Peter?” Harry nodded, and Zayn hummed. “Yeah, I noticed, and it’s suspicious, considering that he had just hurt Louis the other day.”

  


Harry groaned. “And why am I always the last to know about his injuries?”

  


Zayn shook his head. “You can’t blame him, Harry. It’s just the way he is.” Harry rolled his eyes. “If possible, he never wanted people to know about his pain, and now that I think about it, he always got injured when you’re not around.”

  


Harry looked over to the field, spotting Louis immediately. Louis was dribbling the ball, expertly avoiding tackles with his nimble legs and agility, easily scoring another goal that had his team shouting cheers and jumped on his back. He smiled when Louis looked up, and mouthed “I’m proud of you” when they locked eyes. The brilliant grin on his face was enough to throw Harry into a blushing mess, heart giddy with excitement as the practice continued. But it didn’t last long when another pair of eyes caught his, deliberately running closer to Louis just for show, and it made Harry’s blood boil uncontrollably.

  


“I swear Peter’s out there trying to rile both me and Lou up.”

  


Zayn glanced towards Louis’ direction, finding that Louis was shoving Peter away with disgust on his face, quickly getting back into the game and avoiding him. He sent a cold glare Peter’s way, but Peter only smirked in retaliation, resuming his run. Zayn tilted his head towards Harry, his expression serious.

  


“You can’t give in, H. You need to remember that he’s trying to provoke you, and by giving in, you’re granting him the upper hand.” Harry closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. “I already told this to Lou, and he’s trying hard to keep Peter away, but fuck that guy is persistent.”

  


Harry nodded. “And Lou can only take so much. I can see that everything is already draining him, and it’s just a matter of time before he completely broke.”

  


“Yeah, but we’ll be there, H.” Zayn squeezed Harry’s shoulder, a tight smile on his lips. “We’ll stop him from sinking into oblivion.”

  


As Harry opened his mouth to respond, they heard loud shouts from the field, and they both turned their heads to the source, finding Louis and Liam shoving each other on the chest while screaming, veins popping from their necks.

  


Zayn got up, pulling Harry with him. “Let’s go, H.”

  


Harry followed Zayn, fumbling on his feet as they ran to the middle of the field where Louis and Liam stood facing each other, eyes lit with fury.

  


“What’s that for, _Liam_?”

  


Liam scoffed. “What, _Louis_? You were the one who shoved me first when I was trying to steal the ball!”

  


Louis stepped closer, eyes cold, unwavering. “Fuck off, Liam. I was running normally, and I didn’t even touch you, so how was that my fault?”

  


Liam matched his gaze, his jaw clenched. “Yeah? Then who the hell did it when you were the only one who were the nearest?”

  


Louis lost it. “Were you that _blind_ that you didn’t see there’s someone else coming from your right?” He glared towards Peter. “That fucker was the one who shoved you and ran right after he did so.”

  


Liam shoved him hard, making him stumble backwards. “Stop blaming others, Tomlinson. For once, can’t you admit to your faults and just say you’re sorry instead of acting all defensive like a child?”

  


Louis gathered all his strength and pushed Liam, this time successfully making him fall, seething as he straddled Liam’s waist to keep him from moving around. “You fucking asshole, Payne. It wasn’t me so I don’t _owe_ you anything.”

  


Without warning, Liam punched him, making Louis roll to his side with a groan. He wasted no time in jumping onto Louis, reversing their positions and continued his attacks. Louis was struggling to block his punches, but he managed to catch one of Liam’s fists, returning the assault towards him instead, and as they rolled from side to side, they could barely hear the gasps and panicked shouts of “stop!” from their teammates, too engrossed in the fight to listen. Their teammates were trying to pull them apart, only to receive hard jabs until Zayn and Harry arrived, horror painted on their faces.

  


“Lou! Stop!”

  


Harry yanked Louis away from Liam, keeping a firm grip on him as he struggled to break free, blood trailing down his nose and cheeks. Liam was no different either, squirming within Zayn’s hold.

  


“Get off me, Z! I’m not done yet!”

  


Louis spat the blood to the ground. “We sure aren’t, Payne.” He tried to shake Harry off his body. “Let me go, Harry. I need to teach him a lesson.”

  


Liam scoffed. “You sure you’re not the _one_ needing the lesson?”

  


Louis almost broke free, teeth gritted and jaws clenching as he moved forwards, dragging Harry with him when Coach Morrison arrived with Niall behind him, standing firm between them with his arms spread.

  


“ _Enough._ ”

  


His voice was dangerously low, and it effectively quietened the soft buzzing noises of murmurs all around them. Zayn and Harry were both holding Louis and Liam tightly, trying to keep them in place as they were still squirming slightly. They were still glaring daggers at each other, unbothered by the presence of their coach in the middle, the fight not leaving both of them yet.

  


“Tomlinson, Payne, my office later.” He commanded, glancing to Louis and Liam coldly. He then turned to Niall. “Horan, go and grab the first-aid kit from the locker room.” Niall nodded and sprinted away. “Everyone else, resume your practice. Price, lead them.”

  


Lucas eyed them both, nodding at Coach Morrison and ran to the field with their teammates, resuming their interrupted practice. Peter stayed back, watching the scene unfold with a smirk but Coach Morrison saw him.

  


“What the hell are you doing, Davies? I told you to resume practice, perhaps you didn’t hear me?”

  


His voice was loud, booming across the field, stern and cold. Harry flinched at the tone, and it even took Peter by surprise who jumped a bit, nodding abruptly and ran to join the team. Niall arrived with the kit, quickly ushering Harry and Zayn to help him. Harry took his water bottle out and pour a bit on the cotton, gently dabbing it all over Louis’ face, but it was hard when Louis kept wincing and flinching away, and Harry was getting frustrated.

  


“Stop moving, Lou.”

  


Louis immediately stilled, stunned at the harsh tone of Harry’s voice, now just moving slightly. Harry continued his treatment, rubbing the blood off his face, poured the ointment and with great care, dabbed the cotton to the cuts on his left eyebrow, his cheekbones, the bridge of his nose and the corner of his lips. Bruises were already forming on his cheeks, and Harry tried his best not to break right there and then. He schooled his expression, working to close the wounds with band aids, and finished up by dumping all the thrash into a small plastic bag in Niall’s hand. Harry stared into the cerulean eyes that looked so small and vulnerable.

  


“Harry, I-”

  


Harry shook his head. “We’ll talk later.”

  


Louis slowly nodded, shoulders slumping, feeling defeated. Harry looked over to Zayn and Liam, anger plastered on Zayn’s face, and he could see that Zayn deliberately pressed the band aids harsher than he should on the cuts, making Liam yelp in pain but he paid him no mind. When he was finished, he glared at Liam who cowered in fear.

  


“That’s what you get for fighting.”

  


Both Liam and Louis looked like little children who just got scolded by their parents, looking defeated on the bench. Harry and Zayn stood up while Niall cleaned the kit and put everything in, and the three of them backed away as Coach Morrison gestured for Louis and Liam to follow him into his office. They walked behind Coach Morrison with their eyes glued to the ground, occasionally glaring at each other but otherwise, the walk to his office was peaceful enough. Harry, Zayn and Niall watched until their silhouettes turned at the corner, disappearing into the darkness.

  


Harry and Zayn turned to Niall who was still holding the kit. “What actually happened, Ni? One moment they were playing just fine, and the next, they’re at each other’s throat.”

  


Niall sighed, running his hand in his hair. “We were playing just nice, Lou and Li avoiding each other but you really can’t guarantee that you won’t at least brush each other in this sport, you know?” Harry and Zayn nodded, completely understanding what Niall was talking about. “They were fine with it, just two players periodically colliding when _it_ happened.”

  


Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

  


Niall’s eyes darted from Harry to Zayn. “Li was close to scoring a goal, but someone _shoved_ , or rather, _charged_ towards him, and he missed the chance to score it.” He took a deep breath. “It wasn’t Lou.”

  


Zayn closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Harry could see the fury in his hazel eyes. “Who was it then?”

  


“I think we all know who.”

  


“Fucking _Peter_.” Harry said between gritted teeth, eyes darted across the field until he locked eyes with the culprit, his entire being engulfed in the flames of anger when Peter smirked.

  


Zayn had the same expression, but he was more concerned with the current affair. “But how come Li couldn’t distinguish them both?”

  


Niall looked at Zayn. “When he fell, Peter was already gone, and Lou just _conveniently_ happened to be running near him, so Li got up and immediately attacked him, stopping the practice.”

  


Harry and Zayn groaned. “They got into a fight because of a _misunderstanding_?”

  


Niall nodded. “That, and the fact that Li is being really aggressive these days, fuelled with his determination for the position and he really just need Lou to slip up so he could get better chances.”

  


“Ni, you need to tell Coach Morrison.” Harry was holding Niall’s biceps, his tone and eyes pleading. “I can’t bear to see them fighting when the _real_ villain is out there playing without a care of the world.”

  


The three of them watched as Peter gracefully ran across the field, dribbling and passing the ball to their teammates, stealing all the attention now that Louis and Liam were out of the picture for the time being. Niall nodded.

  


“Sure, but while I hope it helps, I don’t know if anyone else noticed because it happened so fast.” Niall looked at them worriedly. “Worst case scenario, it’s my words against them, and Peter would get away with just being benched again.”

  


Zayn snapped. “I don’t care. I just need to see some punishment.” He turned to Niall, voice softening. “So _please_ , Ni, help them.”

  


Niall nodded, face hardening in his resolution. “Of course. You can count on me.”

  


Not long after, they heard voices coming from the corner, and sure enough, the voices belonged to Coach Morrison, Louis and Liam. They walked closer to the trio, seeing that Louis and Liam were looking down with guilty faces.

  


“Remember, I’m counting on the both of you.” Coach Morrison stated, hands on his hips. “I don’t need you to fight during practices, and if you keep doing this, I have no choice but to take you out from the potential candidates’ list and replace with someone else.”

  


At that, Liam quickly looked at Coach Morrison, puppy eyes in full display. “No, Coach, anything but that.”

  


Louis snorted. “Just how much do you want this position, Payne?”

  


Liam glared. “More than you ever did, for the sake of the team.”

  


“And you think I don’t have the team’s best interests in mind?”

  


Liam opened his mouth but Coach Morrison raised his hand, successfully stopping the argument. “I said, _no unnecessary fights._ ” They both gulped. “I’ll brush it off as a friendly competition now, but if I see this kind of thing again, I won’t hesitate to punish you two accordingly. Do you understand?”

  


“Yes, Coach.” Louis and Liam answered in unison, and that’s when Niall decided to make his presence known by clearing his throat.

  


“Um, Coach?”

  


Three heads snapped to Niall’s direction. “Yes, Horan?”

  


“I have something to discuss with you.”

  


Coach Morrison nodded. “Very well, in my office, Horan.” Niall nodded, walking to the direction of his office, and he sent one last warning look towards Louis and Liam before following Niall. Harry and Zayn went to their sides right away, wanting to avoid any argument, dragging them to two separate benches in the school grounds while waiting for Niall. All four boys were sitting in silence, shoulder slumping.

  


“Look, Z-”

  


“I don’t recall giving you the permission to talk, Li.”

  


Zayn’s voice was so cold it sent shivers down Harry’s spine. Despite witnessing Zayn’s anger numerous times, he still got scared, mainly because Zayn’s outburst ranged from slight warnings to violent verbal fits, and truth be told, when Zayn’s like he was now, he’s definitely the most frightening. Even Louis was scooting closer to Harry, and he wanted to laugh but he needed to look _mad_. Liam fish mouthed, but eventually closed his mouth as not to rile Zayn any more than he did. Niall came a few moments later, bending over his knees breathlessly.

  


“Li, you need to apologise to Lou.”

  


Liam snapped, glaring at Louis who quirked his eyebrows. “Why should I?”

  


“Because I didn’t fucking shove you, _Liam_.”

  


Liam hissed. “Shut the fuck up, _Louis_.”

  


Niall shook his head, sighing. “He’s right, Li. It wasn’t him.”

  


Both boys turned their heads to Niall who was crossing his arms against his chest, waiting for him to explain further, although Louis had a small smile on his lips while Liam stared in confusion. “That’s impossible, Ni. I saw him running near me when I fell-”

  


Louis scoffed. “Just because I was the nearest-”

  


“Shut up, both of you.” Zayn seethed, jaw clenching. “Let him speak, morons.”

  


They both stopped talking, looking directly towards Niall who had an exasperated look on his face, mentally trying to fix this misunderstanding. “It’s true that Lou _was_ the nearest, but he just _happened_ to be there. The one who was responsible for your fall was Peter. He ran off just after you kissed the ground.”

  


Louis snorted. “Kissed the ground. _Pathetic._ ”

  


“ _Louis._ ”

  


Louis froze straight away, turning towards Harry slowly, gulping when he saw the stern look in his beautiful emerald eyes. Harry shook his head, and Louis nodded. Louis looked over to the bench next to theirs, finding a shocked Liam whose eyes never left Niall.

  


“W-what?”

  


“Like I said-”

  


Liam shook his head violently. “No, that’s a _lie_.” He stood up, facing Louis, his face contorted in fury. “You set this all up, didn’t you? Ganging up on me, is that your plan all along, Louis?”

  


Louis stared at him in disbelief, standing up as well, Harry grabbing his arm to prevent him from marching forwards. “The fuck are you on about? You think I _bribed_ Ni to defend me?”

  


Niall panicked. “Lads-”

  


Liam broke free from Zayn’s grip, striding in quick steps to stand in front of Louis. “Not just Ni, but Zayn as well.” He stepped closer but Niall and Zayn yanked him away, and he forcefully shoved them, turning to face everyone. “You lot are just the same as him, using someone else to defend himself.” He spat on the ground, filth coating his face as he glared at Louis. “You’re the one who’s _pathetic_.”

  


Louis struggled within Harry’s grasp, his entire being engulfed in anger, but Harry clung tighter. “I don’t care if you think lowly of me, Liam, but don’t you _dare_ involve them, especially Zayn.”

  


Liam glanced over to Zayn who was clenching his fists. “You think he’s _innocent_ , Z?”

  


“I believe Ni, and if he said Lou didn’t do it, then he didn’t do it.”

  


Liam watched the four lads in distaste. Their long-term friendship long forgotten; all he felt now was how _unfair_ the whole situation was, when he was trying so damn hard to gain that position but he would always be _second_. It had always been _Louis_ , and now, even his boyfriend was taking his side, and it only added to his wrath.

  


“Fine.” Liam finally said between gritted teeth. “Stay with him. Not like I need you lot anyway.” He turned around, glancing over his shoulders. “I’ll make sure I’ll raise to the top, _with_ or _without_ you.”

  


Liam walked away, leaving the four lads in utter surprise. Harry still had a firm grip around Louis’ torso, and he felt Louis slowly breaking inside based on the way he stopped struggling, shoulders slumped and head hanging low, his entire weight shifted onto Harry. Zayn was standing still, eyes glued to the school entrance where Liam had been just moments ago. He could see that Zayn was trembling; out of shock, rage or sadness, he didn’t know. Niall ran his hand in his hair, huffing in frustration.

  


“Why has it become like this?”

  


No one could answer the question, too upset to think of the reasons. It started with the banter between Peter and Louis, and then while Louis was recovering, Liam took over his position, marking the beginning of their disagreement. Peter was the one who had been pulling the strings, and now, he had successfully teared them apart; a friendship from all those years ago crumbled by mere _jealousy_.

  


“Let’s go.”

  


Harry and Niall looked over to Zayn, watching as he took out his keys with shaky hands and walked towards his car. They glanced at each other, following Zayn without a word. Harry had to drag Louis to prompt him to walk, because he was so out of it that he didn’t even realise what’s happening. The car ride home was silent; not a word was exchanged between the four of them. Louis stared out of the window, and Zayn stared right ahead, face devoid of any emotion. Harry reached out for Louis’ hand, heart rate rising when Louis didn’t respond, just continued to stare outside. His heart broke at the sight, to see the bubbly, radiant Louis became so distant and quiet, not knowing what’s going on in his head. He locked eyes with Niall, and Niall could only send a tight smile his way, unsure of what to do.

  


When they arrived at Harry’s house, he took it upon himself to take care of Louis. He gently tugged Louis’ hand, almost tearing up when Louis stared at him blankly, but he steeled himself. “Come on, Lou. We’re here.”

  


He dragged Louis out of the car, and Louis just stood outside of the vehicle, eyes fixed on the pavement. Harry walked over to the passenger’s seat. “Come on in, Ni, Z. Spend the night here.”

  


Zayn shook his head, glancing towards Louis. “Thanks, H, but it’s okay. I’ll stay with Ni.” He tilted his chin towards Louis, smiling sadly. “He’s shutting himself down, so please, H, take care of him.”

  


Harry turned his head towards Louis who hadn’t moved from his initial spot. He seemed lost, like an empty shell of a man. He averted his gaze, looking at Zayn and Niall. “I will. Thanks for the ride, Z. And take care.”

  


Zayn nodded. “You too, H.”

  


Harry waved as Zayn drove away, watching until the vehicle was out of sight before turning to Louis, gently taking his hand and brushed his knuckles with his thumb. His hand was cold, and his eyes looked like the life had been sucked out of him – _empty_. His heart clenched, but he braced himself and pulled Louis into the house. Anne wasn’t home yet, a small thing to be thankful of since he didn’t want her to bombard him with questions while Louis was right behind him. He took him into his room, motioned him to sit on the bed, and he rummaged his closet for some change of clothes for Louis. He put the clothes beside him on the bed, kneeling in front of him, hands rubbing his thighs comfortingly.

  


“Lou, I’m going down for a while, to make us tea and maybe prep something for us to eat, yeah?” He watched as Louis stared at him with glazed eyes, unresponsive. “You go ahead and take a shower, alright? And these are your change of clothes.” He tried to sound cheerful, but it was so damn hard to contain his feelings when the person who was always so bright, the one who lit people’s lives just by smiling looking so defeated. Harry’s bottom lip was trembling, but still, he offered Louis a smile, clasping his hands. “I’ll bring food here when I’m done, okay?”

  


Harry brightened up a little when Louis nodded ever so slowly, picking up the clothes and padded to the bathroom. His movement was sluggish, wobbly, but he managed to get into the bathroom safely. Harry waited until he heard the sound of water before stepping out of the room, closing the door slowly, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He met his mum in the hallway, evidently just got back from the bakery.

  


“Oh, hi honey.” Anne walked towards Harry, kissing his cheek and giving him a brief hug. “How was today?”

  


Harry gave her a tight smile. “Um… it was… _rough_ , I guess.” Anne opened her mouth to ask, but Harry abruptly cut her off. “And um… Lou is here. He’s spending the night.”

  


Anne cheered up at that, grinning. “Is he? That’s great!” She frowned when Harry fidgeted, biting his bottom lip so she reached out and rubbed her son’s arm. “Darling, is everything okay? You look terrible.”

  


“I’m… fine. But Lou… he’s um… he’s _heartbroken_.”

  


Anne’s free hand flew against her mouth, eyes wide. “What happened, Harry?”

  


Harry was contemplating what to tell her, because he didn’t want to worry her too much, and he didn’t want Louis to think that he’s untrustworthy, so he decided to just settle with the surface of the problem. “Practice. Some things happened, but I’m sorry Mum, I can’t tell you much else.”

  


Anne watched as Harry looked at her apologetically, and she understood that Harry might think he’s invading Louis’ privacy if he talked any more than that. Anne engulfed him in a warm hug, smiling as she whispered into Harry’s ear. “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me.” She silently giggled at how Harry heaved a huge sigh of relief, the tension leaving his body. She pulled away, caressing his curls. “Just be there for him, okay?”

  


Harry nodded, smiling. “I will.” He walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge to get some ingredients for a simple dinner. “Do you want anything, Mum? I’m going to whip something for me and Louis, and I can make more if you haven’t eaten.”

  


Anne shook her head. “That’s okay, darling. I had dinner before I got home, so just prepare something for you and Lou.” She walked over to Harry, kissing his forehead. “I’m going to rest early tonight; it had been a long day.”

  


Harry smiled, kissing Anne’s cheek. “Sure. Have a good night, Mum.”

  


“Good night, darling.”

  


Harry started working in the kitchen, opting for light dinner. He took out two cups and poured hot, steaming tea, even made one like how Louis liked it. He put everything on a tray, carefully balancing it as he walked up the stairs. He opened the door, finding Louis leaning against the headboard, eyes staring outside. He looked adorable in Harry’s clothes, his hair was feathery soft, and Harry internally cooed. The curtain was still tied, and the gleaming white light casted a soft, white halo on Louis’ body, highlighting his features in all the right places. The only thing missing was the spark in his eyes; even the magnificent moon couldn’t revive the light that once resided within the mesmerising cerulean eyes.

  


Harry closed the door with his foot until it clicked shut. He brought the tray further in and put it on the nightstand, all without Louis noticing. He sat on the bed, one leg crossed while the other hung beside the bed, hand reaching out to tap Louis’ thigh softly. Louis jumped, head snapping quickly before relaxing slightly when he was met with Harry’s comforting eyes.

  


“I’ve brought food.” He gestured to the tray, Louis following the movement. “Figured you’ll be hungry after… _everything_.”

  


Harry could see the exact moment Louis closing himself off again, so he quickly reached for his hands. “Lou, _please_? Please eat something. Just a bit is fine.” Louis was hesitant, so Harry tried giving his best puppy eyes. “ _Please._ ”

  


Louis sighed, nodding and Harry squealed in joy. He took the bowl of salad with chicken pieces, frowning when Louis made a face. “Come on, Lou. I’ve put chicken pieces in it, see?” He showed the pieces that were cut in moderate size. “You need it, and you need some green stuff as well.”

  


Louis shook his head, grimacing as he glanced over to the bowl and tried to communicate his distaste with his eyes, but Harry simply glared. “If you don’t eat this, I’m not going to cuddle with you.”

  


Louis widened his eyes, quickly snatching the bowl from Harry’s hand and ate the salad. The corner of Harry’s lips tugged upwards, and he stifled a laugh when Louis had to stop every now and then to chew and swallow the disgusting food as slowly as possible, apparently trying hard not to hurt Harry’s feelings. They both ate in silence, Harry matching Louis’ pace as not to make him feel even more uncomfortable. When they’re done, Harry was extremely pleased to see that Louis finished the whole bowl, proving his theory about Louis being hungry.

  


“Thank you so much for finishing it, Lou.” He kissed Louis’ cheek, giggling when Louis forced a smile. “I’m going to wash these, so you stay right here and don’t you dare puke, you hear me?”

  


Louis nodded jerkily, his entire being shaking at the command. Harry laughed, shaking his head as he brought the tray downstairs, washed the dishes and went right back, pleased to see Louis already lying flat on his back, the colours returning to his previous pale face. He gestured to the bathroom when Louis looked at him, indicating that he needed to get a shower. He quickly freshened himself up, brushed his teeth and dried his hair, wild curls be damned. He crawled onto the bed, claiming his usual position when cuddling with Louis, but before he could, Louis curled to his side, immediately grabbing Harry and buried his face against the crook of his neck, arms tightening around his torso. Harry smiled softly, understanding that at this moment, it’s Louis who needed the comfort, so he closed his arms around Louis’ body, one hand caressing his hair while the other rubbing his back soothingly. He felt Louis pressing himself closer to Harry, tangling their legs together, and he nuzzled his nose into Louis’ soft, feathery brown hair, inhaling the intoxicating scent of Louis’ natural musk and his vanilla-scented shampoo.

  


For a while, they were just there hugging each other, limbs tangled, the sound of their soft breaths permeating inside the silent room. Harry knew Louis was still awake, thinking about the recent event at school, and he knew how deeply it affected Louis. Liam was one of his closest friends, second after Zayn, and to suddenly having that bond severed so harshly and abruptly would cause great distress to anyone who experienced it. Louis was the person who valued friendship and family over everything else, so to see Louis in such vulnerable state broke his heart. He kissed the top of Louis’ head, hearing his breath hitched.

  


“Lou?”

  


Louis didn’t respond, but the way he shifted a bit told him that he was listening. Harry took a deep breath, as if mustering courage from how deeply his nose was buried inside Louis’s hair.

  


“Whatever happens, I’m here, Lou.” He whispered softly. “Just so you know, I’m not leaving you, neither will Zayn and Niall. And you’re not at fault, so don’t ever blame yourself.” He felt a single drop of tear on his collarbone, the cold sensation making him shiver. “You’re in a rough spot, Lou. Liam’s being a dickhead,” he smiled when he heard a soft giggle. “And Peter’s relishing in your altercation, but you can’t let it drag you down, Lou. I know that I can never understand what you’re feeling right now, but I want to be your source of comfort and strength, just like how you are to me.” More droplets fell down, slowly drenching the neckline of his shirt, but he didn’t care. “Please confide in me, Lou. Let me in your high walls, and let me be your light at the end of the tunnel.” He paused. “Let me _take care_ of you.”

  


Louis’ only response was to tighten his grip around Harry’s torso, a silent appreciation for being there for him. Tears were still cascading down his cheeks, staining Harry’s shirt. He couldn’t get a grasp of his feelings, his mind a chaotic mess, and the only thing anchoring him right now was the curly-haired lad with emerald eyes that was holding him just as firmly, reassuring him that _he’s okay, he’ll get through this,_ and _he’s not alone_.

  


As if sensing the turmoil in Louis’ mind, Harry pressed a kiss on top of his head. “You’re not alone, Lou. You’ll get through this, and we’ll be there all the way. Even if everyone leaves, I’m here, as long as you’ll have me.”

  


And that was enough to calm Louis’ nerves, accompanied by the warmth offered by the boy, the deep, comforting voice, and his wonderful scent numbing his senses, the last thing he registered being the soft kiss to his forehead before he drifted off to a peaceful slumber, a smile on his lips.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Several days after the incident, Louis worked harder than he ever had. Liam upped his game too, and Peter was relentless in his wicked plan. Since Coach Morrison sent him a warning, he couldn’t purposely start a fight between them on the field, so he resorted into something _subtler_.

  


“Hey, Payne!”

  


Liam stiffened when he heard Peter calling his name. He turned around, gripping the handle of his backpack. “What do you want, Davies?”

  


He felt like punching Peter when he jogged towards him with a smirk, and he’s starting to doubt his accusations towards Louis, especially after he was reminded with the fact that Peter was the one who injured Louis, _twice_.

  


Peter raised his hands in defence, smirking when Liam just glared. “Come on, chill out, Payne. I just want to talk.”

  


Liam crossed his arms. “Talk then.”

  


Peter laughed. “What, _here_? It’s not really _ideal_ , so how about we go somewhere and hang out like _best mates_?” 

He slung an arm around Liam’s shoulders, but Liam shoved his arm away. “I don’t have time to hang out with someone like you, Davies. So either you start talking now or I’ll just leave.” He glared coldly at Peter, standing his ground. Peter smirked.

  


“Fine, whatever you say, Payne.” Peter shrugged, the smirk never leaving his lips and honest to God, Liam was getting angrier at the sight. “I heard that Tomlinson’s _definitely_ getting the position, some people overheard Coach and Price talking after practice, saying that no matter how hard you try, they still favour _Tomlinson_ over you.” Peter watched as Liam’s face turned into pure disbelief and outrage, his insides squirming in delight. “Seems pretty _unfair_ , don’t you think? You’re both working hard, but he’s still _number one_.”

  


Everything inside Liam was screaming _he’s lying, don’t listen to him_ , but he was too blinded by his rage that he couldn’t think straight; his mind full of _unfairness, hatred,_ and _always second_. He looked around, trying to find Louis but Louis was already gone, the pitch empty except for some of their teammates, and then thinking about how Zayn defended Louis over him only fuelled his wrath, the feeling of _betrayal_ multiplying tenfold. He glared at Peter.

  


“I’ll make sure I’ll get that position, mark my words.”

  


Liam turned around and left Peter standing there, sinking deeper into his emotions. Peter smirked devilishly, relishing in the small victory of planting the seed of hatred inside Liam.

  


“Oh, you sure will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... how do you feel? Is it good enough?
> 
> Comments and opinions are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading! Lots of love xx


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Thank you so much for taking your time to read this story! Your kudos, bookmarks and time are very much appreciated!
> 
> So, this chapter is not the conclusion of the LiLo feud, but it's getting closer :) this chapter is quite long, and I'd like to think of it as a compensation because I'm not sure when will I update the next chapter as I'm going to get busy soon, but I'll try not to take as long as a week to update :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy! And stay safe everyone! xx

# Thicker Than Blood

### 

Day by day, Liam became more determined, but both boys silently agreed to keep their dispute at bay for the sake of the team. Not that it made any difference to the huge rift between them, but at least they’re not constantly at each other’s neck, much to Peter’s dismay. He had tried to further instigate another bout of fight between Louis and Liam, however, they were adamant not to listen to him, not wanting to forsake their positions in the team. They opted to compete healthily, avoiding any collision as much as they could, but when they did run against each other, they simply glared and then continued on, and Coach Morrison couldn’t be happier.

  


Other students had noticed the conflict between the group, whether in class or outside. Liam didn’t sit with them during class and lunch, and Zayn sometimes was missing as well. Niall was torn between them, but he knew Liam wouldn’t want to talk to him either after that misunderstanding that took the wrong turn, so he mostly stayed with Harry and Louis. He could tell that it’s draining Louis in the worst way possible, and while he’s trying his best to be present for both of them, he would rather stick around with Louis, because at least Louis _listened_ , and it’s a good thing that Harry was there, being the rational one when things got rough.

  


“Lou?”

  


Louis hummed, turning his attention to Niall. “Do you think it’ll get better?”

  


Louis pondered for a long while, staring blankly at his plate while moving his fork mindlessly. He missed his best mate, that’s for sure, but with a feud that deep, he didn’t know if it’s fixable. He could just hope that one day, Liam would see things differently, and they could mend their broken friendship, once again being best mates like before.

  


“I don’t know, Ni. But I sure hope it will.”

  


Niall nodded, expression solemn. “I just miss _us_ , you know? When we would gather as a group, minding our own business, protecting each other whenever necessary, and have sleepovers.”

  


Louis snorted. “We still _have_ sleepovers, Ni.”

  


Niall rolled his eyes. “You know what I meant, Lou.” Louis chuckled, nodding. “Us five, hopping from one house to another, hanging out and play football, even though Zayn can’t play for shit.” They laughed, falling silent moments later as they reminisced the memories they had. “It would still be like that if not for this.”

  


Louis sighed, putting his fork down. “I’m so sorry, Ni. I never wanted things to be like this too.”

  


“It’s not your fault, Lou.” Harry chimed in, sensing the shift in Louis’ demeanour. “Sometimes even the best of friends have fall-outs, and some of them never rekindled.” He squeezed Louis hands. “But I’m sure Liam will come around, right Ni?”

  


Niall nodded, a tight smile on his lips. “Yeah, Lou. When all is said and done, I have faith that all of us will be like how we used to, or stronger.”

  


All Louis could do was taking their reassurances and hoped for the best.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Why is it so _hard_ for you to understand, Li?”

  


Liam groaned. Zayn had been pestering him for months after their huge argument, and it’s irritating.

  


“What is there to _understand_ , Z? I just want to focus on playing, why can’t _you_ understand that?”

  


Zayn rolled his eyes. “I understand that, idiot, but for how long are you going to keep this up?” Liam fell silent, and Zayn took that as his cue to continue his rant. “I’m so fucking _torn_ right now, having to check on you both, but you’re being _ridiculous_ , Li. Can’t you see that this is _exactly_ what Peter wanted all along?”

  


“Seriously, what’s up with you and Peter?” Liam frowned. “I swear all of you are obsessed.”

  


Zayn stared at him incredulously. “ _Obsessed?_ Is that how you view everything?” Liam shrugged, angering Zayn even more. “You’re _fucked up_ , Li. That’s what you are. You rather believe him than your own _best mates_ , the ones that you had known for _years_ , just for a position.”

  


Liam snapped. “It’s not just a _position_ , Z. It’s my dream, but you won’t get it because you were _never_ interested in football.”

  


Liam didn’t mean to vocalise that so harshly, but he couldn’t take back his words. Zayn was silent for a moment, staring at Liam’s side profile intensely, making Liam squirm. In all honesty, he had seen Liam doing all kinds of stupid things, influenced by Louis and him, but this by far was the _dumbest_ thing he could ever done in his life; trusting someone with blatant malice that had the clearest intention of breaking their friendship and getting Louis out as his end goal. He took a deep breath.

  


“Yeah, I can never understand the importance of that position, because for me, it’s just a _position_. Sure, you have many privileges being a captain, you make the call for each game. You control your team, so yeah, it’s _fucking_ important.” Zayn’s voice was calm, but Liam knew better than to interrupt. “But if it was me, Li, I would _never_ jeopardise my friendship for something like that. If I have to compete with my friend, my _best mate_ at that, I’d take that as a friendly competition. I’ll play to the best of my ability, but if I’m not chosen as the captain, it’s fine by me because I know there must be something else that the coach sees in him that I lacked.” He continued staring, watching something shifting within Liam. “I won’t go as far as _hurting_ him, and I absolutely won’t believe any word uttered by some _jealous prick_ , because I _know_ my best mate, Li. Best mates support each other, not fight each other.” Zayn stood up, glancing down towards Liam, voice softening. “I thought _you_ , of all people, would understand that Louis would go through hell and back for you, but I guess you can’t do the same.”

  


Liam was dumbfounded, Zayn’s words piercing through his heart like a knife, and he was starting to feel guilty, remorse taking over his entire being. He looked up, but Zayn was already gone, leaving him to reflect on his words by himself. He stared into the sky, letting Zayn’s words to sink in, all while reminiscing the good old times. He remembered the fights they had all those years ago, starting as enemies but football brought them together, and they became fast friends through mutual interest in the sport, eventually getting closer each passing day. They would always team up during practice, and they were always together in protecting Zayn from the bullies. Zayn and Louis had always been the iconic duo, and it was with them that he learned to really enjoy life, doing dumb things that teenagers did. He remembered that he admired how strong Louis was, after everything that he had gone through, but never once putting himself first, even though he was the one who needed help the most. Louis had always been so selfless, and really, how could he let Peter invade his mind and tore them apart?

  


Liam closed his eyes as a single tear fell down his cheek, guilt taking over his emotions.

  


“God, what have I done?”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


As it turned out, Coach Morrison didn’t do the election in June. He had decided to continue the practice during the break, and would wait until the week before the new term started to announce their new captain. He also granted them a one-week break in July, in which the boys spent away from each other. Louis stayed in Doncaster, taking over the responsibility of being a full-time babysitter to his siblings, Niall went back to Ireland to visit some relatives, Zayn and his sisters followed their parents on their business trip to America, while Liam went on a camping trip with his dad. Harry and Anne planned to London to visit Gemma, and she was elated to finally reunite with her brother and mum after so long that she couldn’t shut up during FaceTime the other day.

  


“Oh my God Mum, there’s so much I want to show you! There’s Westminster, where Big Ben is placed, and then Camden Market where we can try the street food, and-”

  


Harry laughed. “Okay, stop right there, Gems. No use telling us when we aren’t there yet.” Gemma pouted. “We’ll be there, don’t worry. And then you can show us all those places.”

  


Gemma grinned. “And you better be my useful sidekick, Harry!”

  


Harry rolled his eyes while Anne just giggled. “Fine, whatever.”

  


Gemma made a little dance of delight, and Harry sneakily recording it, clamping his mouth with his hand as he stifled a laugh. He was amused that Gemma didn’t notice, but quickly stopped the recording when Gemma’s little dance was finished. They could faintly hear someone calling Gemma’s name, and Gemma looked at them apologetically.

  


“Sorry Mum, Harry, I need to go now, but I really can’t wait to see you!”

  


Anne chuckled. “Us too. Now go, and we’ll see each other soon.”

  


Harry waved. “Bye Gemma! Love you!”

  


“Bye Mum, baby brother! Love you too!” She blew a kiss before ending the call, and Harry curled up against Anne, cuddling each other on the couch. Anne caressed his curls lovingly.

  


“Excited, darling?”

  


Harry grinned. “More than I’ve ever been.”

  


That night, Harry was on the phone with Louis, talking excitedly about his plans to visit Gemma in London while packing his essentials, and Louis laughed at how enthusiastic he sounded.

  


_“You sound like a child who just got rewarded with a candy, babe.”_

  


Harry pouted. “Don’t blame me. It’s been a while since I last visited London, and Gemma had been so busy with volunteering and her studies that she rarely came home.” Harry paused. “And she’d been teasing me on how much time I’ve spent with you that she got worried.”

  


He heard Louis chuckled at that, and _God_ , he wanted to bottle that beautiful sound so bad. _“What got her so worried, Hazza? Is she worried that I’m going to steal you away from her?”_ Harry heard Louis abruptly stopped, seemingly thinking of something. _“Well, not right now, but one day, for sure.”_

  


Louis said it so nonchalantly it made Harry blushed like crazy. “You’re stealing me _one day_?”

  


He heard shuffling on the other side. _“Yeah, but not like, literally stealing you. I mean, I’m totally doing it but not hiding you away from her and Anne, no, none of that.”_ Louis was rambling, and Harry was endeared. _“I mean, one day, I’d like to change your surname, but it’s fine if you want to keep it too, or have it hyphened, whatever you want. But I’m not going to separate you from your family, if that’s what she’s worried about, so um… I’m rambling, aren’t I?”_

  


Harry was a blushing mess, grinning from ear-to-ear, anticipation brewing in his heart when he heard the promise to the future with Louis. “Yeah, Lou, you’re rambling. But it’s good rambling, I liked it.”

  


_“Yeah, it’s definitely something worth thinking about.”_

  


He could sense the soft smile playing on Louis’ lips, and he could picture Louis vividly at the moment, staring at the ceiling just like he was. He bit his lip, trying to contain his happiness. “It is.”

  


They were silent then, both lost in their thoughts; Harry imagining his future with Louis by his side, walking hand-in-hand through the streets, laughing contently, and wrapped up in each other’s arms every night, talking about anything and everything, never getting bored with each other. He smiled.

  


_“What are you thinking, baby?”_

  


Harry bit his bottom lip. “Us. In the future.” His voice was barely a whisper, scared that it would break the tranquillity that had descended upon them. He heard Louis taking a deep breath, and he got nervous all of the sudden. “Um… I’m sorry, I know it’s too early to tell, but-”

  


_“Calm down, babe.”_ Louis giggled, and Harry heaved a relieved sigh. _“I was thinking about the same thing. We’re still too young to know for sure, but if there’s one thing I’m certain about, it’s you.”_

  


Harry felt the tears springing into his eyes, and he sniffled. “Yeah?”

  


_”Yeah, and I fucking love spending time with you, but of course, Gemma has to get worried.”_ Harry giggled, as he could almost see Louis rolling his eyes. _“What was she worried about anyway?”_

  


Harry pondered. “She’s worried that I won’t be able to handle the separation that will surely come sooner or later…” He trailed off, realisation hitting him like a truck. “Lou… we’re not _separating_ , are we?”

  


Louis was silent, the only sound coming from the phone was his soft breaths, and Harry felt _suffocated_.

  


_“I can’t guarantee that we won’t be separated, especially when we’re applying for college later, but I won’t let the distance break us apart, baby. That, I promise.”_

  


Tears were already spilling, staining his cheeks as he struggled to breathe. His throat was closing up, his chest constricting painfully at the thought of being _separated_ from Louis. He knew it was inevitable, but hearing it from Louis made it ten times more painful. His soft sniffles turned into heart-breaking sobs, and Louis immediately switched to his caring mode.

  


_“Baby, listen to me. Breathe, love. Follow my lead. In, out, in, out. Yeah, just like that baby, you’re doing good. Keep going.”_

  


Harry listened intently to Louis’ calming voice, following each and every instruction given as he tried to regulate his breathing and quieten his sobs, all while Louis reassuring him gently. Eventually, his throat cleared, and his chest had loosened up slowly, dismissing the initial pain he felt. The tears were still trailing down, but at least he wasn’t sobbing anymore.

  


_“Better, babe?”_

  


Harry sniffled. “Yeah. Thank you.”

  


_“Baby, I need you to listen to me, alright?”_

  


“Okay.”

  


_“It’ll be hard at first, I know, but look at Niall. He’s here, and Olivia is in London, but they make it work, don’t they?”_

  


“But you never know what the other is doing when you’re apart.” Harry hiccupped. “She c-could be f-fooling around.”

  


_“That’s why we need trust, baby. As long as we trust each other and have an open communication, we’ll be fine. And, if Gemma is so worried, how about we use this one week as a test?”_

  


Harry pouted. “What do you mean?”

  


Louis laughed. _“I mean, let’s not contact each other for a week and see how long we can go without calling. We’ll do our own thing; you going sightseeing, and me babysitting my crazy troop. We can text occasionally-”_

  


“Occasionally? Are you serious?”

  


_“Yeah, and think about it, Hazza. If we can survive this one week without constantly ‘be’ with each other, maybe later when we’re too busy with our studies, we won’t feel too lonely.”_ Louis paused, seemingly gathering his thoughts. _“And it’ll make our next meeting be much more special, don’t you think? The anticipation and feelings for when we finally meet after a long week, multiplied after each passing day. I know I’ll go crazy, for sure.”_

  


They both laughed at that, and Harry was actually considering Louis’ words. He saw the reality of Gemma’s words, and it’s true. When you spent too much time with someone, it would either make you stronger or break you, and that’s precisely why they needed some time apart sometimes, so they could stay in a healthy relationship instead of being too dependent.

  


“It makes sense, hearing from you.”

  


_“My words always make sense, love.”_

  


Harry rolled his eyes, smiling when the image of Louis’ smug face came to his mind. “Alright, we’ll see how it goes during this one-week break. But, for tonight, you need to accompany me until we both fall asleep. _No compromise_.”

  


Butterflies erupted in his stomach when Louis giggled cutely, and he found himself sinking deeper into his treasure vault full of _Louis and his beautiful features._

  


_“Whatever you want, baby.”_

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry woke up the next morning with a text from Louis, and he grinned giddily.

  


**Lou ☼: Good morning, babe ♥**

**Lou ☼: I hope you have a great week in London! Tell Gemma I said hi, and I miss her terribly :P**

**Lou ☼: Have a safe trip, love! (p/s: don’t go flirting with someone else please)**

  


Harry giggled at his last text, quickly shooting a few texts.

  


**Harry: Good morning sunshine ♥**

**Harry: I’ll be sure to tell her that, and I’ll record her response so you can see her face going green in disgust ;)**

**Harry: Thank you, and have fun babysitting! (no worries, not gonna flirt when I have you)**

  


Within seconds, Louis’ reply came.

  


**Lou ☼: You best bet I’m the only one you ever need ;)**

  


Harry’s face was beet red, and he hid his face in his hands like a girl, rolling from one side to another to conceal his squeals of excitement. He replied with a simple “you wish” before bolting to the bathroom to take a shower, his face still painted in pink. He grinned maniacally, replaying their conversation over and over. He lathered himself with his favourite body and hair wash, pampering himself under the warm water, humming a tune that had become his and Louis’ favourite. He turned off the water, wrapped himself with the towel and went to do his usual routine. It’s quite hot, so he decided on a simple yellow shirt with small flowers scattering on it, unbuttoning the first few buttons, black tight jeans and a pair of yellow, striped socks. He went to the long mirror, huffing at his wild curls, opting to put it up in a quiff. Once he’s satisfied, he went downstairs with his bag, finding Anne in the kitchen, already sitting with a newspaper in her hand, a cup of tea and a plate of sandwich right in front of her.

  


“Morning, Mum.”

  


Anne glanced over, smiling as she put the newspaper away. “Morning, darling. Ready for our trip?”

  


Harry’s eyes twinkled, grinning while nodding excitedly. “Of course! Can’t wait to visit London again after so long.”

  


Anne nodded, chuckling when Harry gobbled his breakfast, and once they’re done, they loaded their bags into the vehicle and started driving. Since Harry already had his license, he took over the wheels, and he’s overjoyed. It’s his first time driving somewhere further, and he took his time, talking and laughing with Anne all the way to London, and when they arrived, Gemma was already waiting outside her flat, pacing back and forth but immediately grinned when she saw them. She waited until Harry parked before impatiently tapping the window, glaring when Harry just stuck his tongue out and switched off the ignition. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he then unlocked the door and was instantly yanked into a tight embrace. He laughed, returning the hug with the same intensity, burying his face into Gemma’s hair.

  


“Miss you so much, Gems.”

  


“Me too, Harry. Miss you two so damn much.”

  


She released Harry and jogged to their mum, hugging her just as tightly and swaying them back and forth. Harry shot Louis a text, surprised when he got a reply seconds later.

  


**Lou ☼: Thank God, Harold, I was getting worried.**

**Lou ☼: Now go and spend time with your family ;) have fun babe! xx**

  


Before he could reply, Gemma snatched his phone away, holding it behind her.

  


“Gemma, come on, I just wanted to reply!”

  


Gemma narrowed her eyes. “No, you both will just be texting all week.”

  


Harry rolled his eyes. “No Gems, we agreed on not texting each other that much this week, so give me my phone back so I can text him a short reply.” He reached behind Gemma but she was quicker, smirking.

  


“You sure you can last a week?”

  


“Yes, Gemma, we had a compromise because you were so worried.”

  


Gemma frowned, handing the phone to Harry. “It’s for your own good, you know.”

  


Harry sighed, typing a text to Louis and pocketed it. “I know, he said it too. And with that done, let us in, Gems. It’s a long drive, and I’m knackered.”

  


Gemma rolled her eyes. “Fine. Come in and get comfy.”

  


They spent the afternoon on the couch, tucking themselves under Anne’s arms, laughing at the most random things and just spending time as a family. The first day was spent in Gemma’s flat, and they only started their trip the next morning. As planned, Gemma took them to Westminster, Camden, Thames River, and other places Harry had never been before. Harry was falling more and more in love with London, and as they visited one place to another, Harry could really picture himself living amongst the city lights, vast parks, and lively suburbs, finding a few places that could potentially be his refuge whenever he needed time alone.

  


On their last day in London, Harry and Gemma spent the evening at Hampstead Heath, watching as the orange sky turned purplish blue, and the dull skyscrapers lit up in beautiful lights as night crept in. He could view the whole city from the top of the hill, blinking with fluorescent lights, and it was breath-taking.

  


“I’ve seen this view numerous times, but it still takes my breath away.”

  


Harry smiled, his eyes shining with the reflected lights. “Yeah, and I feel reluctant to leave.”

  


Gemma laughed. “You can try applying for a college here, if you want.”

  


Harry perked up, turning his head to Gemma. “I plan to. I mean, I can see myself living here, you know? I feel like I can experience many things, and since you’re here, you can help me cope if I ever go crazy.”

  


Gemma cackled, slapping his arm playfully. “I hope you don’t go crazy, Harry. I can’t deal with it, so let Louis do that job for me.”

  


Harry let out an airy laugh, staring into the bright city downhill. “If we’re still together then.”

  


Gemma turned to face Harry fully, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Harry, did you have a fight?”

  


Harry snapped his head towards Gemma, face painted in horror. “What? No! We didn’t fight.”

  


She tilted her head in confusion. “Then why are you saying things like a break up between the two of you is inevitable?”

  


Harry sighed. “It’s not that. It’s just… before I came here, we talked about the possibility of going to different colleges.” Gemma hummed, nodding. “And I got… _scared_. I have so many things going on in my head, so many questions, Gems.” He ducked his head down, eyes fixed on the hands that were clasped on his lap. “I’m so used to having him with me, and this one week had been, let’s say… _torturous_ , for both of us. Imagine being separated for 4 years.” Harry felt tears welling in his eyes. “What if… it just doesn’t _work_?”

  


Gemma gently reached out, grabbing his hands and squeezing them. “How do you feel this week, Harry? Have you ever thought of breaking up with him simply because you don’t text each other?”

  


Harry shook his head, nibbling his bottom lip. “No, if anything, it makes me want to work harder and keep the relationship, because I’m convinced that in the end, the wait will be worth it.”

  


Gemma smiled. “You answered your own questions then.”

  


Harry looked up, his eyes shiny with tears. “What do you mean?”

  


Gemma casted her eyes towards the night sky, the twinkling stars reflecting beautifully in her almond eyes. “With a relationship like yours, Harry, no matter how long you’re apart, nothing will break you.” She smiled. “I’ve seen the way that boy looked at you, Harry. Like you’re the only thing in the world. It’s like he would give up everything if you asked him to-”

  


“No.” Harry interjected. “I won’t ask him to.”

  


Gemma turned to him, smiling softly. “I know, Harry. But the way he protected you, always making sure you’re feeling okay, leaving everything just so he could be sure that you’re safe, and not tolerating shit thrown at you? He’s the one, Harry.” She held Harry’s hands. “And even if you’re apart one day, I’m sure he will do anything in his power to show you that distance doesn’t matter; it never was. Only your feelings matter, and you only need to _trust_ each other, and always _talk_ about everything.”

  


Harry laughed wetly, a single tear escaping his eyes and trailed down his cheek. “You sound just like him.”

  


Gemma grinned. “That’s because great minds think alike, baby brother.” She winked, giggling when Harry rolled his eyes to the side. “But that’s something to think in 2 years, so for now, enjoy the time you have, alright?”

  


Harry nodded, his chest feeling lighter at the reassurance given by his sister. They both looked upwards, relishing in the majestically painted night sky, and he whispered into the air. “I will.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


After the peaceful break, and with everyone returning to practice, every day became chaotic. Coach Morrison constantly trying multiple strategies for the best formulation, as well as keeping an eye to both Louis and Liam so that they didn’t start any more fights. At the same time, he’s also watching Peter closely, and it irked him. His attempts to brainwash Liam were ceaseless, and while some of them worked, resulting in collisions and rough shoves between the two of them, most of the time, Liam simply brushed him off, immediately turning around and left whenever he came close, and it frustrated Peter to no end.

  


The friendship between the five of them hadn’t mended either, although Liam had become quite civil with Zayn and Niall. He nodded and smiled to Harry, but he could only glance towards Louis, lingered for a while and then he averted his gaze. Louis could hear his heart breaking whenever he recalled the fun times, but he shook it off and focused on the practice instead. He could be thankful for a bunch of things; the feud that had slightly decreased, his family, friends, and of course, _Harry_. He never left him, and he made it clear after their one week break by staying by his side every single day afterwards, whining when Louis told him that he needed to go home after spending two nights at his house, and it wasn’t until Doris and Ernie called Louis, telling him that they missed him that Harry reluctantly let him go, pouting all the way. Louis kissed his pout away, chuckling as he promised on more sleepovers which brought a radiant smile on Harry’s lips, separating with a tight hug and goodbye kisses.

  


They couldn’t really spend time with each other that much, since Harry had to help Anne around the bakery, but he would go and cheer for Louis on his free days, along with Zayn. Everything seemed to be perfectly calm on the outside, but unbeknownst to them, Peter was at his last legs. Time was running out for him; he needed Louis _out_ , and _quick_. He knew he couldn’t use Liam anymore, since Liam had no interest in finding faults, focusing on his goal to be captain. True, he still had disputes with Louis, sometimes they would fight verbally during practice, but nothing too serious. Their teammates managed to keep the duo from ripping each other, much to Peter’s annoyance. He couldn’t use Niall either, as Niall never glanced his way since the first time he caused Louis’ injury. Zayn was definitely out of question; that lad hated his guts. And then his eyes landed on Harry; vulnerable, timid _Harry_. He smirked, because if there’s one thing that would break Louis instantly, it’s Harry. He darted his eyes across the field, finding Louis running with the ball on his feet, and then glanced towards Harry, who was watching Louis intently. He chuckled darkly.

  


“I can’t wait to end this, Tomlinson.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Z, you go on ahead. I need to wee.”

  


They were on their way to the last practice session before the announcement, and all of them had been nervous the day before. Louis obviously went to Harry’s, pacing back and forth in his room until Harry got frustrated and pushed him onto the bed, holding him tightly, tangling his leg around Louis’ waist, much like an octopus. Louis struggled to breathe, and Harry loosened his grip slightly just so Louis could emerge his head from the firm embrace he was granted with, hooking his chin above Harry’s shoulder. No words were spoken, just two bodies emanating warmth and support, and eventually, they fell asleep like that.

  


Liam wasn’t any better, Zayn said. He went to Zayn’s house, his entire body tense but his face devoid of any emotion. Zayn knew he was stressed, but unlike Louis, Liam sat on his bed, staring on the floor blankly, unmoving. He had to prompt Liam to do things, and after showering, he freaked out and started rambling nonsense, forcing Zayn to shush him with a searing kiss in order to calm him down. Then only Liam blinked, clouded eyes getting clearer and he could finally talk to Zayn normally.

  


Niall, on the other hand, was as cheerful as ever. He mentioned that he was on the phone with Olivia all night long, talking about random things, and he told them that Olivia offered him reassuring words that soothed him endlessly, making him fall even deeper for her, and this time, Harry and Zayn gagged at how gross he was being, much like how he did whenever he saw the other four kissing or just cuddling with each other. Niall blushed in embarrassment, earning loud cackles from both Harry and Zayn and unceasing teasing from them, but he didn’t mind. It’s their way of showing their love, and at the end of the day, they always supported him, so he just shrugged and teased them right back, the dynamic never leaving the three of them.

  


Zayn shook his head. “It’s okay, I’ll wait here. Don’t feel like going there alone.”

  


Harry nodded. “Alright. I won’t be long.”

  


True to his word, he didn’t take long, and they both went to watch the boys practice. Louis and Liam were on the top of their game, still on the opposing teams but glided across the field gracefully, fully in their elements. Niall was in Liam’s team this time, and he was unquestionably brilliant in assisting Liam to break through the opposing team’s defences and scored a goal. Harry and Zayn, as well as some of the students who came to support cheered loudly, enough for their shouts to echo slightly on the field. Louis didn’t take much time to add more to his personal goals, and within minutes, he dribbled the ball and kicked straight into the back of the net, pointing his index finger upwards and smiled to the sky. The sight never failed to make Harry a bit emotional, because in everything Louis did, he always did it for his mum. Zayn patted and squeezed his shoulder, sending a reassuring smile his way. Harry and Louis locked eyes, and he mouthed _“so proud”_ that had Louis grinning maniacally, spreading warmth all over Harry’s body. He blew a kiss Harry’s way, making him blush uncontrollably as soft coos were heard all over the pitch, as well as a loud cackle that belonged to none other than Zayn.

  


The game ended with a tie, both teams panting heavily after Coach Morrison blew the whistle, a big smile on his face. “Great game, boys! I’m so proud of all of you, and after watching how hard you work for your team, it’s evident that this team is the best our school has ever had, so congratulations!”

  


The entire team clapped loudly, grinning as they patted each other’s backs, sending congratulations to each and every one of them. Niall hugged both Louis and Liam, causing them to nod awkwardly towards each other, not comfortable being in such close proximity after avoiding each other for months.

  


Coach Morrison cleared his throat, gaining attention from the team. He glanced over to Lucas who stood beside him with a grin. “As you all know; Price is going to college soon.” Lucas bowed when the team cheered, pride radiating off of him. “So, we are in dire need of a new captain, someone that not only have the skills and talents, but also passion and great leadership, as well as an excellent team player.”

  


Lucas nodded. “Being a captain doesn’t mean that you have control over your team entirely.” He watched the whole team listening intently to him. “Being a captain means you can accept everyone’s opinion, changing tactics as how you see fit, boost your team’s moral when everything’s going downhill, and most importantly, be _present_ for your teammates, all while being an astounding team player because a victory will only be gained if you work together as a team.” His vision was now focused on both Liam and Louis, and he noticed the tense in their shoulders. “It’s okay to fight sometimes, for we all have clashes in opinions, but you can’t let it get to you, or else, the whole team will be affected.” Louis and Liam nodded slowly, and Lucas smiled. “Coach Morrison and I have faith that your new captain will bring a lot more opportunities and victories for our team, and thus, keeping our great record of more wins than losses.”

  


He looked at Coach Morrison, smiling and nodding. Coach Morrison turned his attention to the whole team. “So, all these while, I’ve been observing the way you play, and I’ve distinguished two promising stars for the position, for their skills, talents, leadership, and passion; Tomlinson and Payne.” Louis and Liam tensed. “Tomlinson, Payne, can you come here please?”

  


Soft murmurs could be heard among their teammates, the majority of them watching with pride, and a small fraction looking at them clearly unbothered. Peter was among them, his smirk hidden behind the unsuspecting teammates, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He glanced over to the pitch, finding Harry watching the entire scene unfolding nervously, oblivious to the scheme Peter had in store. Zayn, on the other hand, was more aware of everything that was happening, and he had a warning look in his eyes when Peter looked at him. He raised his eyebrow, challenging Zayn, and smirked when Zayn clenched his jaw tightly. Peter shrugged, turning his attention back to their coach and pretended to listen.

  


Coach Morrison beamed when Louis and Liam were standing in front of him, back to their teammates. They were nervous, that’s for sure, but while Louis was a little calmer, Liam was more of a nervous wreck but tried hard to keep his cool, and it was funny to see him subtly playing with the hem of his jersey when Liam was rarely nervous.

  


“Tomlinson.” Coach Morrison started, startling Louis. “I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again; you’re the _star_ in our team.” He was beaming proudly, in which Louis mouthed a silent _"thank you"_ with a slight blush. “You play truthfully, always passionate the moment you stepped into the game. Everyone can see that football is undoubtedly your element, where you shine the most, and it shows in the way you lead your team, and even if you’re not leading them, your teamwork is impeccable.” He patted Louis’ shoulder. “Considering your background in football, I’m very impressed with how much you’ve improved from a boy who played football as a refuge in the beginning, to the young man with so much passion in him that made people realise that you’re born to be a footballer.” Louis smiled genuinely this time. “And I think what makes you even special is the fact that you’re always so selfless, considerate and thoughtful, especially after you scored a goal, dedicating each and every single one of them for your mum, and for me, that’s the most beautiful part.”

  


Louis had tears in his eyes, but he closed them to stop the tears from falling and opened to find Coach Morrison and Lucas grinning at him. He laughed wetly. “Thank you so much, Coach, Captain. I’m truly honoured.”

  


They nodded, and then they turned to Liam, with the same beaming smile and pride on their faces. “Payne, where to start?” Coach Morrison tilted his chin up, pondering. “You’re a _menace_ for the opposing team, and I mean it in the best way possible. You’re basically a force to reckon with; a strong team player and of course, an exceptional leader. You’ve shown us from time to time again, on how much of a worthy player you are in our team; an asset that any team would _kill_ for.” Liam was surging with pride. “With your skills and talent, Payne, you’ll go far in this sport, no doubt. You can be stubborn sometimes, but you still take your team’s opinions and suggestions into consideration, always having the team’s best interest in mind, and that’s a splendid quality to have as a leader.” Coach Morrison smiled. “However, you lacked the passion, Payne. For the past few months, you’ve been too focused on trying to get this spot, neglecting your initial purpose of playing in the first place.” He looked at Liam, his face soft. “What made you want to play football, Payne?”

  


Liam was surprised, not expecting the question. Coach Morrison gestured for him to reflect, and that was what he did; _reflect_. He was taken back to the first time he played football; a young child fascinated by the way the players kicked the ball and ran across the field as if they were playing. He remembered flinching when someone fell, but he also recalled how their teammates always had each other’s backs, regardless of their positions. He joined football afterwards, finding himself engrossed in it the moment his foot touched the ball, feeling free and satisfied, as well as appreciating the close-knit bond he formed with his teammates back then. He fought with Louis for the position as well, but in the end, someone else got selected, and they both laughed at how silly their argument was, because ultimately, the position wasn’t important at all; it’s the bond that was formed that kept him going, as well as his love for the sport.

  


“Because I love the sport, and because I appreciate the bond that we formed, despite our differences, as well as how arguing over a position is utterly _pointless_.”

  


Coach Morrison nodded, a look of understanding on his face as he took in the guilty look on Liam’s face. “That’s exactly it, Payne. I’m so relieved that you’ve finally realised that in any sport, while being a captain is a huge achievement for anyone, it’s not the most important thing.”

  


Liam looked up. “It never was.”

  


“Yes. And that’s why, Payne, I’m so sorry to tell you this, but Tomlinson is your new captain, and I hope you and everyone else can help build each other to the best of your potential.”

  


Their teammates roared, almost shaking the entire field with their loud cheer. Niall hauled Louis up onto his shoulders, laughing and parading around the field with Louis on top of him. Louis was slightly blushing, but the look on his look was definitely one of pure happiness. He allowed Niall to walk around with his teammates in tow, patting him wherever they could reach, and Louis only smiled towards the sky, kissing two of his fingers and pointing upwards.

  


“This is for you, Mum.” He mumbled to himself, his slow whisper lost in the deafening cheer and celebration. He glanced behind him, finding Liam standing where he stood, and he felt relief washing over him when Liam sent him a gracious smile, mouthing _“you deserve it”_ in which he replied with a silent _“thank you, you’re brilliant”_. Niall put him down after a while, huffing.

  


“You’re quite heavy, Lou. Even though you’re _small_.”

  


Louis flicked his forehead, laughing when Niall frowned, rubbing his forehead. “Give me a break, I’m big! Plus, I didn’t ask you to carry me around, Nialler.”

  


Niall cackled. “Sure, Lou, you’re _big_.” Their teammates laughed at that. “But I’m so proud of you Lou! Knew you’ll make it!” He patted Louis’ back roughly, making him cough.

  


“Stop that, _Neil_.” Niall rolled his eyes. “Don’t kill me before our game, yeah?”

  


“Lou!”

  


All heads turned around to the voice, finding Harry sprinting and without warning, threw himself into Louis. Louis yelped in surprise, lost balance on his feet and stumbled backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Louis laughed and wrapped his arms around Harry’s torso.

  


Niall cleared his throat, shaking fondly. “Alright lads, let’s give them some privacy, yeah? You can never tell with these two.”

  


Louis kicked him lightly in the shin, earning cackles and chuckles from their teammates as they dispersed, leaving Harry and Louis on the ground, all limbs tangled. Harry was holding onto him so firmly, and Louis chuckled.

  


“Hazza, I’m all sweaty.”

  


“I don’t care. I’m just so proud of you.” Harry paused, his voice turning into a soft mumble. “Besides, I like your smell.”

  


Louis smirked. “Wow, baby, really? I stink, you know?”

  


Harry shrugged, face still buried in the crook of Louis’ neck. “It’s you, so I don’t care.”

  


At that, Louis cackled. _His boyfriend really was weird sometimes._ “Okay, babe. Smell me all you want, you have the privilege anyway.”

  


Harry immediately sat up, straddling his waist with his face red as a tomato. He slapped Louis’ chest, pouting when Louis laughed. “Stop embarrassing me.”

  


Louis took Harry’s hands, brushing his knuckles softly, eyes never leaving Harry. “I’m not, love. I’m stating the truth.” He winked, relishing in the blush taking over his entire face up to his neck. And then he smirked. “You look good up there, by the way.”

  


It took Harry seconds to realise what Louis was insinuating, and he abruptly stood up, his milky skin fully red. Louis cackled, extending his hand towards Harry in which Harry took and pulled him up. Louis ruffled his hair, beaming when Harry leaned in to the touch. He grabbed Harry’s hand and they walked side by side.

  


“Come on babe, I need to change.”

  


“You don’t have to.” Harry mumbled under his breath, but Louis heard it anyway. Louis giggled.

  


“As much as I love that you like my smell, baby, I feel gross.” Louis smirked. “Besides, don’t you like it even better when I’m all freshened up?”

  


Harry shrugged. “Whatever. Let’s hurry.”

  


Louis chuckled, grasping Harry’s hand tighter as they walked to the locker room. He received congratulatory hugs and pats from his other teammates, and even Coach Morrison hugged him briefly.

  


“Make us proud, Tomlinson.”

  


Louis beamed. “For sure, Coach.”

  


As Louis and Harry parted with Coach Morrison, another figure stood in front of them, much to their surprise. Blue eyes met brown, and for a moment, they just stared at each other before Liam sighed.

  


“Congrats, Lou. You deserve this.” He sent a small smile Louis’ way. “I guess I’ve always known that I would never be able to compete with you, because you are a full package in football.” He extended his hand. “Lead us to victory, Cap.”

  


Louis nodded, taking Liam’s hand. “Assist me, Li. Can’t do it without you, Ni, and everyone else.”

  


Liam smiled. “You can count on me.”

  


Harry almost cried when Louis brought Liam into a hug, albeit awkwardly. Zayn slung an arm around Harry’s shoulders, and out of nowhere, Niall crashed into them, pulling everyone into a group hug, cheering loudly.

  


“And this calls for a celebration! All five of us after so long!” Niall dragged them away from the stadium, linking arms with them.

  


“Wait, Ni, my bag is in the locker room!” Liam protested, and Louis nodded. “And I need to change, I feel sticky!”

  


Niall ignored their protests, nonchalantly showing their bags hanging from his shoulders while marching forwards. “I’ve taken your bags while you’re being all emotional.” He glanced over to Louis. “And don’t worry Lou, last I heard, Harry likes your smell even when you’re all sweaty.”

  


Louis and Harry blushed beet red, while the others cackled. “Shut up, Ni, stop embarrassing my boy.”

  


Niall snorted. “Sure, I’ll stop.” He winked towards Harry. “Let’s all spend the night at my house and just be lads!”

  


They cheered, cramming themselves into Zayn’s car, singing and laughing all the way to Niall’s house. When they arrived, Niall’s mum complained about their odour so they took a shower, Harry and Zayn wearing Niall’s clothes as they didn’t plan on a sleepover to begin with. They ordered pizza and played video games all night long, making a ruckus out of the living room and earned a good scolding from Niall’s mum, forcing them to obediently collected the pizza boxes and drinking cans into a large bag and threw it out.

  


They brought down two queen-sized mattresses, placing them in the middle of the living room with a bunch of pillows and several teddy bears which Harry and Zayn immediately grabbed, hugging them tightly. As they laid down, they talked in hushed whispers, relishing in the fact that they were able to hang out together again after it was once ripped away from them due to a conflict between Louis and Liam, but they never blamed each other; even the best of friends fought sometimes, but no one could deny that the bond they had with each other was thicker than blood itself.

  


As hushed whispers turned to light snores, Harry found himself thinking about the whole situation. He couldn’t help but think that _it ended too easily_. The reconciliation between Louis and Liam was _too simple_. Not that he wasn’t happy; he was beyond ecstatic for them, but he felt like something else was in the move, especially when Peter hadn’t make any conspicuous action. His thoughts were interrupted by a pair of strong arms hooked around his waist.

  


“You’re thinking too loud, Hazza.” Louis nuzzled his face into Harry’s hair, spooning Harry tighter. “What's on your mind, babe?”

  


Harry bit his bottom lip, slowly turning to face Louis. His eyes were full of worry, but for a moment, inside the beautiful cerulean eyes, he felt like his concerns melting away, and when Louis tenderly brushed his curls away, he sighed softly.

  


“Everything seems too easy, Lou. Almost as if… _it isn’t over yet._ ”

  


Louis quirked his eyebrow. “About me and Liam, you meant?”

  


“Not just _that_.” Harry sighed, scooting closer against Louis, forehead resting over his collarbone. “Peter wanted you out of the team, remember? I just… I can’t help but think, what if he had something else planned and is just waiting for the perfect moment to strike?”

  


Louis wrapped his arms around Harry’s body tighter, kissing the top of his head. He had a feeling that Peter wasn’t done yet even before Harry pointed that out, and his main concern right now was _Harry_ himself.

  


“I’m more worried about you, babe.” Louis kept a firm grip on Harry’s body, nuzzling his face further into Harry’s mop of curls. “Please don’t go anywhere alone when you watch me practice.”

  


“But Lou-”

  


“Promise me, Hazza. _Please._ ”

  


Harry sensed the tremor in Louis’ tone, and he could feel his body trembling slightly. He grasped the back of Louis’ shirt, pressing himself closer against Louis.

  


“I promise.”

  


Despite the fact that Harry had just promised, Louis still had an unsettling feeling in his guts, and even after Harry’s breathing evened out, indicating that he’s asleep, Louis was still wide awake, his instincts screaming at him to _protect Harry at all costs_. Of course, he would protect him from anything, but it would be nice if he knew what’s coming so he could be better prepared. He had a pretty good idea on what it was, but exhaustion was taking over his body, and soon, his eyelids became heavy, and he drifted off into a restless sleep, settling on _nothing’s going to happen._

  


Oh, if only it was that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I threw a few shades of what's going to happen in later chapters in this chapter, but one in particular is going to take a while before it happens. The next chapter, however, is going to be a bit emotional (at least for me), so consider yourself warned. Feels like a long time ago that I wrote something sad, so I'm bringing it back next.
> 
> I hope this chapter is acceptable :) thank you so much for reading! Comments and opinions are welcomed and accepted with open arms! xx


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you said and do things in an angered state, all that's left is guilt and regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry for taking this long! Life hit me hard this time :( this will take some time for me to adjust, but I'll never forget this fic, I promise ;)
> 
> As always, thanks for taking your time to read this! I don't know if my writing lives up to your expectations, but I am truly thankful for all of you who visited this story :) thanks for the kudos!
> 
> This chapter focuses on Harry and Louis, and the next chapter will go through LiLo's reconciliation, as well as clarifications for some other things that were left unsaid in the previous and this chapters. Sorry for the messed up order!
> 
> Anyways, I hope you can still enjoy this chapter! Stay safe everyone! xx
> 
> Trigger warning: SEXUAL ASSAULT (please read with caution)

# Broken Trust

### 

It’s been two weeks into Louis being the new captain for their team, and he managed to lead them to victory in their first two matches in the new term, and Louis was absolutely at the top of his game. Liam and Niall were brilliant, as well as the excellent teamwork cultivated in their team since the first time they played together. There wasn’t much interruption; Peter seemed to focus on their game and practice, Zayn watched from afar for any suspicious actions, and Harry being Harry, the moment he stepped into the pitch, he had his eyes glued on a certain brown-haired with cerulean eyes lad, oblivious to everything else. He had mentioned about Louis’ request to Zayn, and Zayn wholeheartedly agreed with Louis.

  


“He’s right, H. For now, we don’t see any move from Peter’s side, and your worries are valid, so if I have to deduce the whole situation, I’d say it’s just a matter of time before he comes to you.”

  


Harry frowned. “But he knew better than to mess with me, Z.”

  


Zayn rolled his eyes. “Does that ever deter him from approaching you, though?” Harry groaned, and Zayn sighed. “H, you stay with me at all times during practice, yeah?”

  


Harry nodded, his mind filled with intrusive thoughts. He watched as Louis ran across the field with the ball glued to his feet, successfully avoiding any tackles and scored effortlessly. He was also quick in changing tactics as he saw fit, and everyone could see the changing dynamics in their team under Louis’ lead. Coach Morrison was extremely pleased with their performance, and since the next match will only take place in October, Coach Morrison decided to give them another break that lasted for a week.

  


“Remember, you need to at least practice on your own during the break. _No slacking off_ , understand?”

  


“Yes Coach!”

  


Coach Morrison beamed proudly, Louis by his side. “That’s what I want to hear. So wrap up, lads! I’ll see you after the break.” The team dismissed with a loud cheer, casually walking and talking to the changing room, and Coach Morrison turned to Louis. “Tomlinson, a word?”

  


Louis nodded. “Sure, but I need to tell Zayn and Harry first so they don’t get worried.”

  


Coach Morrison laughed, patting him on the shoulder. “Alright. Go straight to my office after you’re done.”

  


“I will. Thank you Coach.”

  


Coach Morrison nodded before turning away and walked to the direction of his office. Louis jogged towards Zayn and Harry who were waiting by the pitch. Zayn gave him a brief hug, and then passed him to Harry.

  


“We’re proud of you, Lou. You’re doing great.”

  


Louis giggled from over Harry’s shoulder. “Thanks, lads.” He pulled away from Harry. “Coach asked me to go to his office, so I guess you can leave first since I don’t know how long will I be in there.”

  


Zayn and Harry shook his head. “No, we’ll stay. Ni said something about hanging out at our favourite diner after this, so it’ll be best if we all go together.”

  


Louis beamed. “Alright then, I’ll text you when I’m done.” He kissed Harry’s cheek. “See you later, babe.”

  


Harry’s eyes followed as Louis jogged away to the tunnel, disappearing as he turned at the corner. His eyes lingered for a while, and at the same time, Zayn caught something at the corner of his eyes. He whipped his head to the direction of the changing room, eyes widening as he saw Peter talking with Liam. From where he stood, he couldn’t make out what they were saying, but from the looks of it, Liam was ready to leave but Peter was persistent, forcing Liam to shove him, said something and left. Zayn squinted his eyes, and he could see the smirk forming on Peter’s lips.

  


“Z.”

  


Zayn jumped at the sudden voice, eyes wide as he turned to Harry. “Yeah?”

  


Harry tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face. “Are you okay?”

  


Zayn cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s up?”

  


“I want to go to the toilet, been holding it since the start of practice.” Harry was subtly shifting from one foot to another, making Zayn chuckle.

  


“Okay, let’s-”

  


“Zayn!”

  


They both snapped their heads to the source of the voice, finding one of Louis’ teammates jogging towards them. “What’s the matter?”

  


He pointed towards the locker room. “Liam’s calling for you. Said that he needed your help with something.”

  


Zayn groaned. “Can’t he wait?”

  


He shook his head. “He told me to tell you it’s urgent.”

  


Zayn looked over to Harry, his face showing apparent conflict. Harry chuckled. “That’s fine, Z. I’ll be fine by myself.”

  


“But-”

  


Harry waved him off. “No, it’s really fine. Go and help Liam with whatever he needed help with.” He turned to the opposite direction. “I’ll be quick!”

  


Zayn could only watch helplessly as Harry ran towards the toilet, following the informant dejectedly. He made a mental note to scold Liam once he’s done with his thing, but for now, he’d see what was so urgent with Liam.

  


With that playing in his mind, he failed to notice the signal given by the lad beside him to someone who was out of sight, silently watching the whole ordeal with a growing smirk.

  


“ _Too easy._ ” He then made his way to the toilet. “I’m going to _enjoy_ this, Tomlinson.”

  


He walked quickly to the toilet, glancing side to side before slowly opening the door, mindful of any squeaking noise. He entered the toilet, smirking when he saw Harry at the corner, oblivious to his surroundings. He approached him stealthily, swiftly pinning him against the wall, one hand clamped over his mouth. Harry’s eyes were wide, his body shaking vigorously in an attempt to break free, but the perpetrator held him firmly, his hands secured behind him, between their bodies.

  


“Stop struggling, you pretty thing.”

  


Harry froze, registering the voice situated so close to his ear before his entire body was filled with fury, eyes darting to the side until he could make out the face of the lad he hated so much.

  


_“Peter.”_

  


His voice was muffled, but Peter heard it, and he laughed obnoxiously, his vile voice echoing across the tiles of the toilet, ringing in his ears.

  


“Harry, Harry. I thought it was going to be hard, but you’re so _oblivious_ to your surroundings that it makes my plan so much easier.” He leaned closer to Harry’s ear, his other hand tightening its grasp on Harry’s wrists. “And now, I get you _all to myself._ ”

  


Harry was saying something against his palm, but it was too muted to make out. “What was that?” He released his palm slightly, enough for Harry to talk.

  


“What do you want?”

  


Peter watched the fury in Harry’s eyes with amusement, smirking as he pressed the side of Harry’s face against the cold tile of the wall, relishing in the groan falling out of Harry’s lips.

  


“I want _you_ , Harry.” He chuckled, basking himself in the look of fear in Harry’s eyes. “Like I said before, I like _feisty_ people like you.”

  


“Louis won’t let you off easily.” Harry said between gritted teeth, fear replaced with anger. He winced when Peter laughed loudly, the ringing sensation resonating obnoxiously in his ears. He groaned in pain when Peter yanked his hair backwards, matching the glare sent towards him.

  


“You’re so full of yourself, aren’t you, Harry?” He smirked. “If only you knew what he told the team about you.”

  


“Yeah?” Harry smirked, tone challenging. “You’re full of shit, Peter.”

  


Peter grinned wickedly. “Maybe, but you know, despite the fact that he’s all smitten towards you, when you’re out of range, he was complaining about how _timid_ you are, Harry. How you’re so _dependent_ on him, and how every single thing affected you deeply because of your _past_.”

  


Harry widened his eyes. “W-what are you talking about?”

  


Peter tsked, shaking his head in a sympathetic manner. “Oh, Harry, don’t you know? He’s been telling everyone about your abusive past, and even _laughed_ at how pitiful you are.” His smirk grew devilish. “And he also said that both of you haven’t done anything yet, even though you’ve been together for, what, _9 months_?”

  


Peter watched as the fight left Harry, his face evident with betrayal, but he still had some fire in his eyes. _Stubborn lad._

  


Harry shook his head. “N-no… you’re lying… L-Lou would never do that…”

  


Peter raised his eyebrows. “Why would I lie, Harry? What’s in it for me?” He observed something turning inside Harry’s mind, and he slowly leaned closer. “You don’t deserve a _traitor_ like him, Harry.” He licked his ear, smirking when Harry shivered but kept his grip to avoid Harry from moving. “Just _trust_ me, yeah?”

  


He tugged Harry’s hair harshly, ignoring his groan to lick a fat stripe along his neck, one arm already wrapped around Harry’s waist, his hands still pressed between them. He pushed Harry against the wall, his arm snaking under Harry’s shirt, roaming all over his torso while he nuzzled his face against the crook of Harry’s neck, smirking when Harry tried to suppress his moans by biting his lip, his eyes clenched shut as tears cascaded down his cheeks freely. He inhaled Harry’s cologne.

  


“Smell so _good_ , Harry.” He brought his lips up and down Harry’s neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses. “Louis’ a lucky one, huh? He gets to taste _this_.” He licked the underside of his jaw, his hand slowly travelling lower, and Harry gasped, shaking his head vigorously.

  


“N-no… p-please… s-stop…”

  


Peter ignored his weak protests, hand going lower, lingering dangerously near his exposed penis. Harry’s body was shaking uncontrollably, he shook his head and tried to release himself from the position, but Peter yanked his hair roughly, the hand quickly gripping his penis, making him gasp loudly as more tears trailed down his cheeks.

  


“P-Peter… s-stop… d-don’t d-do t-this… p-please…”

  


Peter stroked his length slowly, and Harry couldn’t help but let out an involuntary moan, perking Peter up even more.

  


“You like that, Harry? Want _more_ , hmm?”

  


Harry shook his head, pleading for him to stop but Peter paid him no mind, increasing his pace and smirked when he saw pre-cum leaking from the tip, brushing his thumb over and spreading it all over the length. Harry shuddered at the sensation, shaking and squirming helplessly to escape from the filthy being stuck behind him. He felt _disgusted_ , and he wanted nothing more than to fall into Louis’ arms and be comforted in his scent while he cried his heart out.

  


“P-please… _fuck_ … l-let g-go…”

  


“Why should I, Harry?” His strokes were faster now, and Harry let out small whimpers and moans, muffled by how hard he was biting his lip. “ _Louis_ was the one who told me to do this, you know?”

  


At that, Harry’s eyes popped open. His mind was whirling in a chaotic mess, but instead of feeling sad, he felt an insurmountable rage rising inside him, the feeling of _betrayal_ taking over his body. _How dare Louis told everyone about his past and passed him over to someone as vile as Peter._

  


His mind was screaming _no you idiot, Louis would never do that,_ but he was too blinded by his wrath that he reacted so strongly with it and with a newfound strength, he stepped on Peter’s foot, _hard_.

  


_“Fuck!”_

  


Peter shrieked in pain, causing him to step back and with his hands now released, he turned around and kicked him in the balls. When Peter bent down, he punched his face, making him fall on the cold, hard tile. Harry quickly pulled his pants up, zipping them and sprinted out. His face was contorted in fury, and as he walked towards the locker room, he found Louis frantically looking around, positive that he was searching for him. He would feel relieved and warm, if he was in his usual state, but right now, all he felt was _anger_ and _betrayal_. He could barely listen to the voices in his head, warning him to back away.

  


Louis was running, head snapping around frantically, looking for Harry. His eyes landed upon a figure, and he heaved a huge sigh of relief when he saw the familiar mop of curls walking towards him. He jogged towards Harry, a small smile on his lips but as they got closer, he drank in Harry’s appearance; his hair was dishevelled, his clothes wrinkled, and he was furious, so he quickly reached out, hands roaming all over Harry’s body.

  


“Harry, what happened? Why do you look angry?” Louis inspected Harry’s face tenderly, face and eyes filled with worry. “Harry, talk to-”

  


A hard slap landed on Louis’ left cheek, and it took him a few seconds to register the impact. He brushed his hand over the mark, eyes slowly darting towards Harry, now fully seeing the tears flowing down his cheeks.

  


“Harry, what-”

  


“I _trusted_ you, Louis!” Harry burst out, his deep voice echoing across the field, and it took Louis by surprise. Zayn, Liam and Niall were there, too shocked to react, and they instinctively stepped back. “How could you do this to me?!”

  


Louis was utterly confused, he tried to search for any hint in Harry’s eyes, but he found nothing but _anger, disappointment,_ and _betrayal_. His emerald eyes had turned into the dark forest that they always did when Harry was lost in his thoughts and emotions, and right now, in front of him, was not the Harry he knew.

  


“Harry, please, I don’t know what you’re talking about-”

  


Harry chuckled wetly. “ _Really?_ You don’t? Then how the hell did Peter know about my past, hmm?” Harry’s eyes were cold, and his glare was absolutely terrifying.

  


Louis widened his eyes. “I don’t know what Peter said to you, but I _swear_ I didn’t tell a soul about your past.” He reached out for Harry’s hand, desperation laced in his voice. “Please, Harry, trust me-”

  


Harry yanked his hand away, harshly wiping his tears. “No, Louis. I’m done trusting you.” He turned, grabbing his backpack, glaring over his shoulder. “You’re just the same like everyone else.”

  


Louis was downright speechless, his mind trying to process the whole situation as Harry walked further away from him, before it clicked; _Peter_. His sadness turned into rage, and he clenched his fists tightly as he marched towards the toilet, his friends calling him over but he ignored them. His sole focus on finding Peter and forced him to spill whatever lie he told Harry.

  


He found him still groaning in the toilet, and he attacked.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Harry went to school the next day feeling exhausted, shoulders slumped, his movements sluggish. He spent the entirety of last night crying himself to sleep – from both _anger_ and _regret_ , and after a long episode of breakdown and sobbing hysterically in the arms of his mum, he spent another hour staring into the ceiling, replaying the event at school over and over again. He remembered everything Peter told him, and then he remembered scrubbing himself so hard it burned his skin, leaving bright, red marks all over his body while crying under the stream, and then he remembered the most painful sight ever – _Louis’ heartbroken face_. The image of Louis’ face haunted him all night, and he asked himself, _why was he so stupid, why did he believe in the boy whom he knew had planned only bad things for Louis, and why did he succumb into his anger when all Louis ever did was protecting him?_

  


He felt the tears threatening to fall, so he shut his eyes tightly, forcing the tears back. He hung his head low, walking slowly towards the school entrance, heading straight to his locker. As he reached his locker, he heard murmurs from the students in the hallways which he would ignore usually, but he didn’t know why, he felt like whatever news buzzing around was important. He was lucky enough that there was a group of three girls near his locker, so he pretended to be looking for something in his locker while he listened.

  


“Hey, have you heard about yesterday?” The short-haired brunette asked her friends.

  


Harry’s interest perked. _Yesterday?_

  


The blonde girl shook her head, eyebrows knitted in confusion. “No, I didn’t hear anything. What happened yesterday?”

  


“Do you know our football team’s new captain?”

  


The other girl, a redhead, widened her eyes. “ _Louis Tomlinson_?” The brunette nodded. “Oh no, what happened to him now?”

  


Harry’s heart was beating fast, his hands stopped moving halfway into the locker. He was shaking, anticipation bubbling in his chest.

  


The brunette sighed. “He got himself into a fight after practice.” The two girls clamped their hands over their mouths, utterly shocked. “No one knows the reason, because everyone else had gone home by then.”

  


“No way…” The blonde girl looked sad. “How is he? Please tell me he’s okay.”

  


_Please, tell me he’s okay too._

  


“Someone said he was taken to the hospital right away. Apparently, he was injured pretty badly.” The brunette bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know the extent of the injuries, but they said he needed a long time to recover.”

  


Harry’s stomach dropped, his heart stopped beating altogether. _Louis was injured? Taken to the hospital? Needed a long time to recover?_

  


The redhead wiped a stray tear. “I hope he’s okay. He’s such an excellent player and captain. It’ll be a huge disadvantage for the team, and it’s only been two weeks.”

  


“About that…” The brunette sighed. “They said Liam will take over his position, so I guess it’s something to be relieved about.”

  


The blonde girl nodded solemnly. “Yeah, Liam’s brilliant too. But I really hope Louis is okay.”

  


Both girls nodded, and when the bell rang, the trio left the lockers and went to class, oblivious to the turmoil raging inside Harry. Harry stood there frozen, his mind’s a whirlwind as he tried to process the information he just heard. It then dawned to him; Louis got into a fight after practice for him. The one he went after was Peter, and he was injured.

  


Tears fell down his cheeks like a waterfall, nothing blocking the trails. He leaned forwards, supporting himself with his arms, guilt and regret overtaking his entire being as he cried into his hands. His heart felt like it was stabbed by a knife, painstakingly slashing every bit of it until no more blood could be spilled, internally screaming at how stupid he was, for giving in to his anger and Peter’s deceitful words.

  


He didn’t know how long he stood there, but a tap on his shoulder startled him and he turned his head sideways, his blurred vision could vaguely make out the figure of a person beside him.

  


“Harry?”

  


Harry wiped his tears away, blinking to get a clearer view, and he smiled weakly at Rebecca who smiled sadly at him, rubbing his arm in a comforting manner. He was sure his face was flushed, eyes red and puffy, but that’s the least of his concerns.

  


“Hey, Becca.” He sniffled. “Sorry, I was-”

  


“It’s okay, Harry, I understand.” Rebecca shot him a reassuring smile, but Harry could detect the sadness in her features. “The principal wants to see you, Harry. It’s about… yesterday.”

  


Harry swallowed thickly, tears springing into his eyes. “Do you know anything about yesterday?”

  


He realised how broken he sounded, the crack in his voice evident. There was a hopeful tone in his voice, but when Rebecca shook her head, his heart broke.

  


“I’m so sorry, Harry. I’m not allowed to say anything. Not when no one knows the full story.” Rebecca squeezed his arm. “He called Zayn, Liam and Niall too, since they were the only witnesses yesterday, and from my understanding, you were involved too.”

  


Her tone wasn’t accusing, in which Harry was immensely grateful for. A single tear trailed down his cheek. “Yeah.” He looked up, forcing a smile as he wiped the tear away. “Thank you, Becca. I’ll see Mr Isaacs now.”

  


Rebecca nodded, leading him to the office. When he arrived, Zayn, Liam and Niall were just getting out, and as Liam closed the door, they locked eyes. They were all wearing a similar expression; _grief_. Niall walked towards Harry, bringing him into a warm embrace, in which Harry returned by wrapping his arms tightly around Niall’s torso.

  


“It’ll be okay, H. We’re all here, yeah?”

  


Harry couldn’t contain his tears anymore, so he let the tears fell freely, small droplets dropping onto Niall’s shirt. Niall hugged him tighter, and soon, Zayn and Liam joined them.

  


“Be strong, H.” Zayn whispered, his own voice cracking. “Tell the whole story to the principal, alright?”

  


Harry nodded slowly, feeling his friends’ strength seeping through him, and he pulled away from the group hug, thumbing the tears away. “Thank you, Z, Ni, Li. I needed that.”

  


Liam squeezed his shoulder, his lips forming a thin line. “You got this, Harry.”

  


Harry nodded, and they patted him one last time before leaving Harry alone in the empty hallway. He breathed in deep, mustering all the courage he had before knocking.

  


“Come in.”

  


He opened the door with trembling hands, timid eyes wandering across the room until they landed on Mr Isaacs. He cleared his throat.

  


“You wanted to see me, Mr Isaacs?”

  


Mr Isaacs nodded, shooting him a sympathetic smile. “Indeed, Mr Styles. Please, have a seat.”

  


Harry closed the door gently, stepping further inside the spacious office and took a seat in front of the principal. Mr Isaacs was staring at him, and it made Harry fidget nervously, mindlessly playing with the hem of his shirt. Mr Isaacs sighed.

  


“Mr Styles, do you know why I called you here?”

  


Harry nodded, eyes still not meeting the principal. “Yes, sir.”

  


“I believe you are the important piece in this messed up incident, Mr Styles. So I was hoping that you could tell me what actually happened to help me with this case so that I can take appropriate actions towards Mr Davies and Mr Tomlinson.”

  


At the mention of Louis’ name, Harry glanced up, worry laced across his features. “Mr Isaacs, please, tell me what happened to Louis.”

  


Mr Isaacs shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mr Styles, I can’t disclose the information to you. But if you tell me your side of the story, I can guarantee that it will help us tremendously.” He clasped his hands on the table. “Please, Mr Styles.”

  


Harry took a deep breath, recalling the events in the toilet slowly. “I was in the toilet when Peter came.” He shuddered. “I didn’t hear him coming until he pinned me against the wall. He whispered to me about how Louis told everyone in the team about my… disturbing past.” He gulped, sneakily glancing over to Mr Isaacs, finding him listening intently to his story. He took another breath. _I could do this. For Louis._

  


“He also said Louis mentioned about me still being a virgin even when we’ve been together for 9 months.” His voice was barely a whisper; his tone was that of shame. Mr Isaacs nodded, face devoid of emotions, and it made Harry felt more at edge, but he continued on. “And then…” He trailed off, his breath got caught up in his throat. Mr Isaacs offered him a glass of water which he took gratefully.

  


“And then what, Mr Styles?”

  


Harry put the half-empty glass down, eyes darting to Mr Isaacs, finding encouragement in his eyes. He inhaled deeply.

  


“He _touched_ me.”

  


Mr Isaacs inhaled sharply, his calm face turned furious in a matter of seconds, and Harry gulped.

  


“Please continue, Mr Styles.”

  


Harry nodded slowly, sweaty hands playing with the fabric of his trousers. “He whispered bad things about Louis, but when he said Louis told him to touch me, I lost it.” Harry clenched his fists. “I knew he was lying, but I was too blinded by rage to rationalise my mind, so I took his words to heart and I got mad.” Mr Isaacs saw the flicker of fury in Harry’s eyes. “I stepped on his foot, and when he stumbled, I kicked his balls and punched him.”

  


Harry looked up to see Mr Isaacs staring at him in wonder, eyebrows raised, and Harry felt a surge of pride within him. However, the pride was replaced with guilt and remorse as he recalled the event that happened after.

  


Mr Isaacs saw the shift in Harry’s emotions, and his voice turned tender. “Mr Styles, something happened between you and Mr Tomlinson afterwards, am I correct?”

  


Tears sprung into his eyes as he nodded ever so slowly, the pain returning full force. “I accused him of spilling my secret to everyone, and I even _slapped_ him.” His bottom lip wobbled dangerously as he tried to contain the image of Louis’ devastated face. “I told him that he was just the same with everyone else when deep down, I knew he’s not that kind of person.” He glanced up, tears blurring his vision. “He’s not at fault, Mr Isaacs. He was just protecting me, but I was too blind to see it in my angered state.”

  


Mr Isaacs stood up, rounding the table and sat beside Harry, his gaze soft. “Mr Styles, I know you think that everything was your fault-”

  


“It is.”

  


Mr Isaacs shook his head. “No, Mr Styles. None of this would happen if Mr Davies wasn’t so obsessed with Mr Tomlinson in the first place. So please, stop blaming yourself.”

  


Harry looked up. “How do you know?”

  


“I met them both yesterday, along with their parents.” Mr Isaacs smiled. “I saw Mr Tomlinson first, but the doctor forbade me from staying too long, saying that he needed his rest, so he gave me his version of the incident. Of course, it was incomplete, and he was in pain, so I left him after he was finished with his story.” Harry wanted to interrupt, but Mr Isaacs raised his hand, and Harry slumped. “I went to see Mr Davies next, and after some thorough pushing, he finally admitted to everything, so that’s why I needed to see everyone present during the incident to see if the stories aligned with each other, and after hearing your side of the story, Mr Styles, it’s obvious that the root of the problem is Mr Davies, and him alone.”

  


Harry bit his bottom lip, nibbling it until something metallic touched his taste buds. He played with his fingers, eyes casted on his hands. “So… what happens now?”

  


Mr Isaacs patted Harry’s shoulder. “Leave that to the school, Mr Styles. We’ll make sure to punish him accordingly.”

  


“What about Louis? What about his position in the team?”

  


At that, Mr Isaacs’ grimaced. He sighed before returning his gaze towards Harry, his eyes showing sympathy. “I’m sorry, Mr Styles. That decision remains in Coach Morrison’s hands, and I’m sure he’ll announce something soon.”

  


Harry’s heart sunk, slowly processing the information with disappointment and regret. He nodded anyway, sending a tight smile. “Thank you, Mr Isaacs.”

  


“No, Mr Styles, thank you. For being brave yet again.”

  


Harry forced a smile, shaking his hand and walked out of the office. He leaned against the cold, hard wall, head tilting upwards. He heaved shaky breaths, eyes closed as he felt more tears welling up. He still had no idea what happened with Louis, and it’s frustrating. He wanted to apologise to Louis, for behaving like how he did yesterday, and he needed to see him. The guilt was gnawing at him, and he didn’t know if Louis would forgive him, but he needed to try. He couldn’t lose Louis; the literal sun, the light of his life, the one who would give up everything if he asked him to, the one who would always protect him, no matter when and where.

  


He just hoped that Louis would still smile at him.

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


“Harry!”

  


Harry was brought back from his trance by a loud voice with a thick Irish accent that only belonged to Niall. He glanced sideways, smiling a little when he saw Niall running towards him, Zayn and Liam in tow. Niall immediately plopped down beside Harry, winding an arm around his shoulders, bringing him into a side hug. “How did it go, Harry?”

  


Harry sighed, glancing towards the sky. The weather was nice that day, the sky a clear blue, soft, white clouds moving slowly, much like cotton candies. The wind was blowing gently amidst the humid air, and it calmed Harry a bit.

  


“It was fine. But I still haven’t got a clue about what happened to Lou.”

  


Niall tensed, and Harry turned his head to the side. “Ni, you were there. Tell me what happened.”

  


Harry watched as Niall, Zayn and Liam glanced at each other, a guilty expression on their faces mixed with something that Harry couldn’t quite decipher. His worry spiked at the silent exchange between the three of them, and without warning, he grabbed Niall’s arms, forcing him to face him as tears starting to gather.

  


“Please, Ni, I need to know.” His voice sounded desperate, but he didn’t care. He just needed to know, to sooth his aching heart. He leaned over, resting his forehead on Niall’s shoulder, his voice cracking. “ _Please…_ ”

  


Niall looked down to the sobbing mess in his arms, and glanced over to Liam and Zayn. Zayn sighed, walking over to where Harry was buried against Niall’s neck, sitting on the other side. He put a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

  


“Harry, first of all, you need to know, this is all a request from Lou.”

  


Harry snapped his head towards Zayn. “What request?”

  


“To keep it a secret from you. He…” Zayn trailed off, eyes darting towards Liam and Niall. They nodded solemnly, and Zayn sighed. “He was _hurt_ , Harry. And that’s why, he requested that you don’t go and see him at the moment.”

  


“But I need to apologise, Z!” Harry shouted, taking them by surprise, his face flushed, tears dropping down his cheeks. “I accused him for _betraying_ my trust when _I_ was the one who couldn’t think rationally, driven by my anger!” His bottom lip quivered, vision becoming blurred, mind foggy. “He was so heartbroken… but I just left and said that he was the same as everyone else.” He sobbed, clinging onto Zayn for dear life. “So please, Z… please let me see him…”

  


The three of them was so lost, hearts breaking at the sight of a very broken Harry. Niall had tears in his eyes; he couldn’t bear to see two of his best friends so devastated, when all they deserved was happiness, so he decided to help.

  


“He’s at the same hospital he was admitted before, Harry.”

  


Harry turned to Niall, hope glinting in his puffy eyes. Zayn sent him a warning glare. “Niall…”

  


“No, Z. I know Lou requested it, but I can’t bear to see them like this.” Niall glared at Zayn. “He deserves to know, and if Lou gets mad, I’ll take the blame.”

  


Zayn exhaled deeply, his muscles loosening, the tension leaving his body. A look of understanding crossed his face. “Fine, but Harry, you can’t freak out, yeah?”

  


Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “Why?”

  


Niall sighed. “His injuries are nothing like he ever experienced before.” Harry widened his eyes, terror filling his entire body. “Due to his fight with Peter, he dislocated his left shoulder, and his right wrist needed a cast as well.” Niall watched as Harry’s face went pale. “His face was full of cuts and bruises, and his body was battered. It wasn’t a pretty sight, Harry.”

  


“B-But, I overheard some girls saying that he needed a long time to recover-”

  


“About that.” Niall interjected, his face showing conflicted emotions as he glanced over to Zayn and Liam who just nodded. “He indeed needs a long time to recover, or at least until his doctor deems him good to go.”

  


Harry was hesitant. “And what was it that he’s suffering from?”

  


Niall gulped. He fish mouthed, but nothing came out from him, so Liam took over.

  


“His ACL was torn, Harry.” Liam nodded when Harry’s jaw clenched, his eyes wide. “The doctor gave him two options; recover without surgery with instability, or do a surgery but will take a long time to fully heal or until he said it’s okay for him to play again.”

  


Harry’s face fell. “So he took…”

  


“Yeah.”

  


Harry darted his eyes upwards. The sky was now a little cloudy, puff, grey clouds had started to gather, looming but otherwise was still a perfect, beautiful sky. It’s like Harry’s change in mood was caught on by the sky, matching perfectly with the storm in his heart. His shiny, emerald eyes were glistening with unshed tears, thinking back to the first time they had a fight, but Louis was the one who proposed their ‘talk’, and they reconciled. This time, after hearing Zayn said Louis specifically requested for him not to come, he felt like his world had lost the brilliant light that had taken permanent residence since emerald met cerulean, but he was determined to make it up. He turned towards Zayn.

  


“I want to see him.”

  


Zayn sighed. “Let’s go, then. But Ni, you’ll take the blame.”

  


Niall nodded. “Sure.”

  


They all clambered into Zayn’s car, Harry and Niall sitting at the back. They were cuddled close, Niall understanding that Harry needed the support so he slung an arm across Harry’s shoulders, allowing Harry to rest his head on his shoulder. They stayed that way until they reached the hospital. Harry’s heart rate picked up, his hands clammy and he needed to be tugged for him to walk out of the car and into the dreadful hospital. Zayn led the way up to Louis’ room, and from the window, Harry could see Louis’ reading a book, the bed reclined to he could sit while leaning. As soon as Zayn opened the door, Louis dropped the book and turned, a scowl on his face.

  


“You’re late, Z. I thought I told you-”

  


Zayn huffed. “Shut up, Lou. God, you’re just the same, sick or healthy.” He stepped into the room, putting a paper bag on the stand. Louis beamed. “Here.”

  


“Oh, Z, this is why I love you.” He reached out for Zayn, obnoxiously kissing his cheeks causing Zayn to push his face away in disgust, but he had a smile on his lips.

  


“Sap.”

  


Louis grinned, and he looked over to the other visitors, his grin fading when he saw Harry standing timidly beside Niall, safely tucked under his arm. He glared towards Zayn.

  


“I told you not to-”

  


“I was the one who asked him to come along.” Niall interrupted, and Louis looked at him in surprise. “You need to talk. I hate seeing you both like this.” He turned towards Harry, speaking softly. “H, you got this, yeah?”

  


Harry slowly nodded, eyes never leaving Niall, trying to absorb the reassurance given by the Irish lad. Niall smiled, patted him on the shoulder and dragged Liam and Zayn out, shutting the door. It’s just him and Louis now, and the tension inside the room was palpable. He was still standing at the same spot, eyes glued to the door. He was trembling, but he willed himself to get a grip, taking a deep breath and exhaled slowly before turning around to face Louis. He had his eyes closed, so when he opened them, he clamped his mouth with his hand. Louis looked terrible; his face was full of bruises and cuts, he had a sling on his left arm, a cast on his right wrist, and his right knee was rested on a pillow, secured in a large bandage. His eyes met cerulean ones that were staring right into him, face blank.

  


“Lou…”

  


“Why are you here, Harry?”

  


His tone was tender, but there’s a sharp undertone, showing his conflicted emotions. Harry stared into the kind gaze, and he saw _compassion_ mixed with _disappointment_. His heart broke, knowing that he was the reason Louis got into the fight, and he was the cause for the aching pain in Louis’ heart.

  


“I… I w-want to apologise.”

  


Louis hummed. “For what?”

  


Harry cleared his throat, but when he spoke, his voice cracked. “For… t-this.” He gestured to Louis with trembling hands. “I-I caused t-this.”

  


Louis took a deep breath. “As far as I know, my injuries have nothing to do with you, so I don’t understand why you need to apologise."

  


Harry wanted to cry at the tone Louis was using; it was the tone of a _stranger_. Although the voice was Louis’, the tone was the same gentle tone he used when he talked to Harry, it sounded so foreign; it lacked all the _compassion_ it once held.

  


“B-But none of t-this would’ve h-happened if I-I was there-”

  


“But you weren’t there, were you?”

  


It was spoken in such a sharp tone that it broke Harry. Harry watched with blurred vision as Louis stared at him with the same tender eyes, but instead of _warmth_ , it contained only _sadness_ and _pure disappointment_. Harry shook his head, tears falling.

  


“No… And I’m so sorry, Lou…” His voice was small, and he sniffled. “I know I was wrong. I accused you without asking the truth. I thought of you as the traitor when I knew you would never do anything to betray my trust.” He swallowed thickly. “I was angry, and I wasn’t thinking straight.” He stepped closer, unbothered with the tears cascading down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Lou. You weren’t at fault. It was me.”

  


Louis watched and listened, his own heart shattering at the sight of a very miserable Harry. His eyes were red, his face flushed, and his emerald eyes had already lost their natural shine. He saw how Harry’s body was shaking vigorously, and he wanted nothing more but to reach out and hug the life out of his boyfriend, to calm him down and tell him that everything would be okay. But he couldn’t; not because he _physically_ couldn’t, but because he himself was _deeply hurt_ , the wound in his heart from being accused still _fresh_ and _bleeding_.

  


“If your trust is so easily swayed, Harry, then I guess I haven’t done a good job in taking care of you.” Louis chuckled wetly, his eyes darting to the window, willing the tears to stay inside. “Even though all I ever wanted was for you to trust me like how I trust you.”

  


Harry sobbed harder. “L-Lou-”

  


"I'm sorry, Harry, for everything that I did and for what Peter said and did to you." Louis' bottom lip was quivering, the thought of Harry violated in the hands of Peter invaded his mind. "I wished I was there in the first place, so that you didn't have to go through _that_."

  


Harry shook his head quickly, struggling to speak between sobs. "N-No, L-Lou... y-you weren't at f-fault-"

  


"No, Harry, it was my fault. I was supposed to protect you at all times, but I _failed_." He missed the way Harry kept shaking his head, his own tears welling up. "But I wished you had a little bit more _faith_ in me."

  


Harry felt weak in the knees, those words were like knives, slowly slashing his heart in painful manner, the blood almost too surreal to him. If not for the foot of the bed that he was holding so tightly, he would’ve collapsed right there and then. He couldn’t contain his tears anymore; the person who always _protected_ him, the one who _listened_ to everything he had to say, the boyfriend who would do anything to make him happy, the radiant sun that always looked so strong and gentle, now looked _dead_.

  


Louis was trying so hard to not let his tears fall, but he failed. His cries were silent, in contrast with Harry’s loud sobs resonating in the room, tempting him to give in and cuddle his boyfriend because he knew that was what Harry needed – his comforting hug. He averted his gaze precisely because he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist if he saw the state Harry was in. He closed his eyes, clearing his throat, but his voice still cracked.

  


“Harry, go home and think, yeah?” His voice was soft, knowing it would somehow coax Harry. “Think about us.” His red-rimmed eyes finally met Harry’s, steeling his heart, even though it was agonising. “Let’s take a break.”

  


Harry stopped sobbing. “W-What?” _A break? Was he breaking up with Harry?_

  


Louis shook his head and sighed. “Not a _break up_ , Harry. It was never an option.” He watched Harry’s shoulders easing up. “I just thought it’ll do us both good, taking some time apart, to see if _this_ is what we really want. And if we can _trust_ each other more.” He didn’t miss the way Harry stood frozen at his words, tears falling on his cheeks, down to his jawline which was shaping beautifully. “Especially _you_.”

  


Harry’s shoulders slumped. Between them, Harry was the one who had a severe case of _insecurity_ , and he’s well-aware of how _dependent_ he was on Louis. Even though Louis had always proved him wrong, he couldn’t help but have a little bit of _doubt_ , especially when people took advantage on his vulnerable state. He had to admit, Louis had done nothing but show him how much he cared, that everything he did, he had Harry in mind all the time, but Harry? He let his insecurity got the best of him and allowed malice to easily topple him over, causing this huge mess.

  


Harry sniffled, his loud sobs had quietened significantly, and he looked at Louis under clumped eyelashes, tears now trailing down in single line. “F-For h-how long?”

  


“Until you can finally shut down all hateful words coming from other people and learn to trust the people _you know_.”

  


Harry swallowed thickly. _That’ll be hard._ “Until t-then, I-I can’t see y-you?”

  


Louis nodded slowly, his own expression pained. “Yes.”

  


Harry could hear his heart breaking into pieces, but Louis had a point. If he kept on believing what other people said and disregarded the people whom he knew, who knew what would happen? He stared into the stunning cerulean eyes, and this time, they reflected _trust_ and _hope_. Harry found his resolution and strength from that shade of blue, so he wiped his tears and nodded determinedly.

  


“Okay, I’ll learn. And then, I’ll come back to you. I promise.”

  


Louis smiled, radiance shining brilliantly from his eyes, the crinkles appearing, and Harry felt _light_.

  


“I’ll be waiting, Harry.”

  


On the car ride home, he spent the entire time looking outside the window, mind circling back to his conversation with Louis. He didn’t cry after he left Louis’ room, because somehow, he felt like he had a reason to _change_. Before this, he was _driven_ by Louis’ support, but this time, he found strength within himself to accept Louis’ decision, and to truly learn who to trust as well as controlling his own insecurity and emotions. It would be hard, and Louis knew that, but he would take that as a challenge, because he wanted Louis more than anything else, and he wanted to feel proud of himself. He smiled towards the darkening sky, his voice lost in the wind.

  


“Wait for me, Lou. I promise I’ll be back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is satisfactory. I changed the narrative a couple of times, and this is what I decided. Did it at least touch your heart emotionally?
> 
> Let me know what you think! Thank you for reading! xx


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Thank you so much for reading up until this point! A massive thank you to those who left kudos, to you lovely souls who bookmarked this story, and especially to you brilliant people who commented. I love you xx
> 
> As promised, LiLo reconciliation in this chapter, and there are two flashbacks included. One is a flashback on what happened after Zayn went to see Liam in the locker room in the previous chapter, and another is Harry's past in the form of a nightmare. The whole flashback scenes were in italic, and I used italic as well for a phone call between Harry and Louis (only Louis' lines), so I hope you're not confused :)
> 
> Also, this chapter is kinda like another transition chapter, and the next one will take some time, I think. At this point, I'm writing whenever I can instead of all the time like I used to before, so please bear with me!
> 
> I hope this is still enjoyable :) stay safe everyone! xx

# Mend

### 

“Liam, teach me how to fight appropriately.”

  


Liam blinked. “What?”

  


“I want to learn how to fight.” Harry said with determination. “I can’t always depend on any of you, because someday, we’ll all be separated, and although I’ll stay with Lou, I need to learn to defend myself in any situation.”

  


Liam tilted his head, eyebrows knitted together. “But didn’t you _punch_ someone before?”

  


Harry rolled his eyes. “That’s different. I was driven by anger, so it came naturally.” Harry explained. “I don’t want to fight to _hurt_ , Li. I want to fight to _protect_ , just like how all of you did for me.”

  


“So…” Liam raised his eyebrows, lips quirking up in amusement. “You want to learn from me?”

  


Harry nodded. “Yeah, who else has a gym at their house?”

  


Liam chuckled. “No, I thought you’d for sure ask Lou.” He bit his bottom lip, guilt creeping in. “He’s a fighter too.”

  


“That’s true, but I promised him something.” Harry smiled, head tilting upwards. “So, until then, I’m learning from you. Plus, have you seen how Lou fights? He basically just throws punches blindly, but from the looks of it, they hurt.” Harry grimaced. “ _A lot._ ”

  


Liam laughed. He had experienced it first hand when they were younger, and at that time, even though he was a bit smaller than him, Louis’ punches were hard and _extremely painful_. They were just in elementary school but boy did Liam regret fighting with him. And now that they’re teenagers, they had grown a lot and of course, there was more strength in his punches.

  


“I’m telling you, Harry, he might not have the proper skills, but when he punches, he gives it his all, and that’s precisely why we advise people not to pick a fight with him, but of course, some people don’t _listen_.” Liam shook his head, and Harry nodded. “It’s a good skill to have, self-defence, so yeah, I’ll train you.”

  


Harry beamed, eyes shining brightly, teeth showing. His dimples popped out, leaving deep crates in the wake, and his curls bounced as he jumped slightly. “Yes! Thank you Li! I owe you one!”

  


Liam chuckled. Harry really was adorable, just like a bright child, and he could see why Louis was so protective over him. “I’ll text you and we can train together when I’m free.”

  


When Harry nodded enthusiastically and waved him goodbye, Liam watched his retreating figure with a sad smile, mind immediately going to Louis. He hadn’t apologised properly to him, and he couldn’t help but be on edge with them every time they got together or when they visited Louis. The air between him and Louis was still weird, and he knew Louis was just being friendly as to hide his own feelings. The incident in the toilet made him realise that Louis really would do anything to protect the people he cared about, even if it meant hurting himself in the process.

  


And that’s why he stood outside of Louis’ room by himself, various scenarios playing vividly in his mind. _What if Louis kicked him out? What if Louis didn’t want to listen to him and their friendship ended here?_

  


“Idiot, he isn’t that kind of person.” Liam muttered to himself, shaking those negative thoughts away. He told the lads that he needed to go home right after school, but he knew, Zayn didn’t buy that. He saw the lingering look, and he could faintly make out the small smile of encouragement from Zayn. With that in mind, he took a deep breath and knocked the door.

  


“Come in!”

  


Liam chuckled. _Louis’ loud voice really could penetrate even the thickest of walls._

  


He heard rustling from inside the room, and he gently opened the door, poking only his head inside. He saw that Louis was adjusting the bed so he could sit properly, and from the mess he created on the bed, Liam was certain that he was extremely bored. He stifled a laugh, stepping in and closed the door.

  


“What happened here, Lou?”

  


Louis rolled his eyes. “I’m _bored_ , Liam. There’s nothing interesting here, and I can’t even _walk_.” He gestured to his knee, exasperated. “I hate just laying on bed but it’s comfy, so I guess I’ll give the hospital some merit.” He shrugged, looking over Liam and then back at him with confusion. “You’re alone? Where’s Z and Ni?”

  


Liam cleared his throat. “I told them I had something urgent at home so I asked them to go home first, although I’m pretty sure Z didn’t believe me.” They both chuckled. “But why didn’t you ask me about Harry though?”

  


Louis hummed. “We had a compromise.” Liam opened his mouth to ask, but Louis quickly interrupted. “We texted, so I know where he is.” Louis looked at Liam, his expression turning serious in the matter of seconds. “So, Liam, why are you here alone?”

  


Liam averted his gaze from Louis, opting to cast his eyes outside, watching as droplets of rain cascaded, the sound making melancholy melodies resonating across the suddenly silent room. It’s as if the weather perfectly understood the turmoil inside their hearts; matching the way his heart pounded and thundering in his ears. The sky was darkening; grey, heavy clouds already excreting the excess water but they still looked beautiful, even though it was supposed to be gloomy. The white puff wasn’t completely gone, and perhaps that was another sign of how Louis was as a person; a bright star lighting the darkest of places, illuminating the hearts of wanderers, always shining and guiding towards home.

  


Liam sighed softly, gaze returning to Louis who was patiently waiting for him to say something. “I want to apologise.”

  


Louis chuckled good-naturedly, shaking his head. “What’s with you lads and apologising to me? I swear it’s getting funnier each time.”

  


“It’s not funny, Lou.” Liam said, furrowing his eyebrows. “I did something wrong to you, and it affected our friendship. Don’t act as if it wasn’t awkward between us, Lou.” Liam stated, his tone getting softer. “You know that.”

  


Louis had a small smile playing on his thin lips. “And what made you want to apologise, Li?” He watched as Liam stared outside the window, patiently waiting as he seemed to be recollecting his thoughts, and leaned back.

  


_Liam was talking with Niall at the far corner in the locker room when a loud bang resonated across the locker room, causing the lively chatter happening inside to halt completely, all eyes zeroed on to the figure standing at the door. Zayn grinned innocently._

  


_“Hey boys. Don’t worry, I was just being dramatic, perks of being friends with Louis Tomlinson.” He waved to the team, and they all laughed at his proclamation. Louis might be the captain, but he’s still dramatic. “I’m just searching for Liam, heard that he needed my help with something.”_

  


_Liam emerged from the array of lockers, his jersey hanging on his shoulders. He looked at Zayn with knitted eyebrows. “Help with what?”_

  


_Zayn rolled his eyes towards Liam. “Oh, come on Li. Don’t play dumb. Someone from your team said you needed me urgently. Thanks to you, I had to leave Harry.”_

  


_Liam tilted his head, his whole face exuding confusion. “No, Z, what are you talking about? I never asked anyone to call you here, I swear.”_

  


_It’s Zayn’s turn to look at Liam disbelievingly. “Then why the hell did he say that?”_

  


_“Z, where’s H?” Niall chirped in. “Lou said not to leave him alone.”_

  


_Zayn’s face changed to worry. “He went to the toilet when that guy was adamant that Liam wanted me here.”_

  


_Liam bolted forwards, holding Zayn by his shoulders, face concerned. “Who was it, Z?”_

  


_“I don’t know him.” Zayn shook his head, worry flashing in his hazel eyes. “But he has light brown hair and black eyes, about your height.”_

  


_Liam gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched as he let go of his hold on Zayn. He ran a hand in his hair. “Fuck, Z, that’s Mick, Peter’s friend.”_

  


_Zayn widened his eyes, immediately turning around and sprinted out of the room. He barely listened to the shouts from Niall and Liam, his sole focus in finding the bastard. He found him not too far from the pitch, and upon seeing him, he quickened his pace and deliberately shoved Mick, straddling him when he’s down and grabbed his collar._

  


_“Did Peter ask you to distract me so he could get to Harry?”_

  


_Mick’s eyes were fearful, and he was struggling to breathe, hands flying to free himself from Zayn’s death grip by hitting his hands. Zayn tightened his hold, not caring for the poor buy sputtering for oxygen. He ignored Liam’s and Niall’s protests, his heart boiling dangerously._

  


_“Answer me.”_

  


_Mick nodded, albeit painfully. “C-can’t b-breathe…”_

  


_Zayn loosened his grip by a fraction, his glare intensified while Mick coughed, spitting to the ground. “Why?”_

  


_Mick glanced over, coughing wildly. “H-He said s-something a-about w-wanting t-to irk T-Tomlinson.”_

  


_Zayn’s jaw clenched, and he threw a hard punch to Mick before turning and saw Louis heading towards them. Louis was looking around, obviously searching for Harry and Zayn met him halfway._

  


_“Z, where’s-”_

  


_Zayn grabbed him by the elbow to the direction Louis came from. “Quick, Lou! The toilet!”_

  


_“What?” Louis tried to break free but Zayn tightened his grip. “Why? Where’s Harry?”_

  


_“He’s in there with Peter.”_

  


_At the mention of that, Louis’ face immediately changed into that of an anger and yanked his arm away, dashing to the toilet. Zayn made to follow him, but he stopped when he saw Harry walking towards Louis with fury radiating from him and his eyes bulged out when Harry slapped Louis. Niall and Liam gasped beside him, too shocked to react and they could see that they were arguing, Harry shouting at Louis while Louis was trying hard to explain himself, and when Harry left, Louis marched to the direction of the toilet._

  


_“Lou! Wait!”_

  


_Their shouts remained unheard as Louis quickened his pace, fuming. They followed him, hearing loud yelling and curse words being thrown from the toilet as well as the sound of something getting kicked and punched, so they abruptly charged in and gasped in horror when they saw that Louis and Peter was already bleeding so much that their blood trailed on the pristine white floor. They were on the floor, blood spluttering everywhere but Louis had the upper hand, using his left knee to support him while holding Peter on the collar with his left hand and punched repeatedly with his right hand, and Peter was already weak._

  


_“No, Lou, stop!”_

  


_They tried to pry them apart but Louis harshly shrugged their hands and continued to punch until Liam had to aggressively pulled him away, hooking his arms around Louis’ torso and held him up, all while Louis was thrashing around._

  


_“Let me go, Liam! I’m not done yet!”_

  


_“You’re done, Lou! Stop! Look at him!” Liam pointed towards Peter who was barely moving. “He’s down, Lou! Enough!”_

  


_“I’m not done!” Louis shouted. “He fucking touched Harry, Li! Let go!” Louis almost broke free. “I’m going to kill him.”_

  


_Zayn slapped him. “And then what, Lou? Do you want to get arrested and leave Harry all alone here?” At that, Louis stopped struggling, eyes still focused on the limp Peter but his ears opened. “Who’s going to be there for him when he needed you, Lou? Who’s going to comfort him if you’re gone? Ask yourself, Lou, is this bastard worth it?”_

  


_Louis casted his eyes down to his feet, head shaking slowly._

  


_“Then stop. You’ve conveyed your intentions enough.”_

  


_Louis looked over to Zayn, and all of the sudden, he felt a throbbing pain on his right knee. He collapsed backwards with a heart-breaking scream of pain, leaning fully on Liam as his face contorted in immeasurable discomfort. Zayn and Liam panicked, quickly tending to him._

  


_“What, Lou? Talk to us.”_

  


_Louis was crying, his eyes clenched shut at the stinging sensation on his right knee. “My knee…” He said between gritted teeth, trying to steady his breathing. “It fucking hurts!”_

  


_The door to the toilet slammed open, revealing Coach Morrison and a few of their teammates, all stunned at the sight. Coach Morrison’s eyes darted from Peter to Louis, and instead of sighing in frustration, he simply told Zayn, Liam and Niall to follow him so they could bring them to the hospital. They got treated immediately, and while waiting, he asked the three of them about the fight and they answered truthfully. When Louis was deemed stable, Coach Morrison went inside the room and talked, and not long after, Dan arrived with Louis’ siblings, worriedly searching for him and Dan talked with Coach Morrison right after, leaving the lads with Louis’ army of siblings._

  


_“Z, how’s Lou?” Phoebe and Daisy asked, eyes filled with tears. “Is he okay?”_

  


_Zayn sighed. “He’s fine, girls. He just needs some rest.”_

  


_Doris and Ernie looked with big, sad eyes. “No play with LouLou?”_

  


_Niall ruffled their hairs gently. “No can do, Doris, Ernie. So you need to be good children so LouLou can get better and play with you again.”_

  


_The youngest twin nodded solemnly, and they sought comfort from their big sisters, huddling between the lads. They stayed like that until Coach Morrison and Dan were back, this time accompanied with their principal, Mr Isaacs. Mr Isaacs smiled grimly at them._

  


_“Mr Malik, Mr Horan, and Mr Payne, I’d like to see you three tomorrow in my office in regards to this case.”_

  


_They nodded and Mr Isaacs went inside. After what seemed like a long time, the lads finally got to visit Louis, and Louis sighed, exhaustion evident on his face._

  


_“Before you ask, I dislocated my left shoulder, so I need to wear this damn thing at least for a few days.” He rolled his eyes, gesturing lightly to the sling. “And my right wrist is casted, not serious, the doctor said. But this,” Louis showed his bandaged knee. “is another story.”_

  


_Niall widened his eyes. “No, Lou, don’t tell me-”_

  


_Louis nodded, grimacing. “Yeah. That asshole managed to hit my knee hard and tore my ACL. So now I can’t play, or at least until a certain period of time.” He shrugged nonchalantly, but the three of them knew better. He turned to Liam, offering him a tight smile. “Looks like you’re the captain now, Li. It’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?”_

  


_“N-No, L-Lou, t-that’s not-”_

  


_“I know.” Louis casted his eyes outside, leaning backwards. “But in my condition now, I can’t play, Li. So please, lead our team and make us proud.” He turned his head around, eyes flickering to the three of them, expression serious. “And this should never reach Harry, do you hear me?”_

  


_Zayn frowned. “Why? He deserves to know, Lou. You fought for him.”_

  


_“No, Z. Don’t tell him. Please.” Louis pleaded. “He’s had enough. I don’t want him to blame himself for something that was out of his control. Enough is enough.” Louis sighed. “What Peter did was unforgivable, and I’ll gladly take all the punishment the school has in store for me. As long as Harry’s safe.”_

  


_“But Lou-”_

  


_“Please.”_

  


_Zayn, Niall and Liam exchanged looks with each other, guilt etched on their faces. Reluctantly, they sighed and turned towards Louis who was observing them with sad but expectant look._

  


_“Okay. He won’t know.”_

  


_Louis smiled. “Good. And if possible, don’t let him visit either.”_

  


_“That’s a little bit too much, Lou.” Niall disagreed. “This will spread all over the school tomorrow. He will know, and he will be devastated if he not only being left in the dark, but also restricted from visiting you.”_

  


_Zayn nodded. “Ni’s right, Lou. That’s too much, and you know how Harry is. Think about how he would feel, Lou.”_

  


_“What about my feelings, Z?” Louis stared at Zayn, eyes wet. His tone was not aggressive, but Zayn could feel the pain from the strain in his voice. “I’m hurt too. And I care about him so much.” He croaked, letting a stray tear fell and diverted his gaze towards the window. “Just… give me time. Please.”_

  


_They looked at each other before walking towards Louis and hugged him comfortingly. Louis couldn’t reciprocate the hug, but he truly appreciated the support he received from his best friends, relishing in the promise they made and just before they left, he called out to Liam._

  


_“Take care of the team, Li.” He gave him a tight smile. “We’re all counting on you now.”_

  


“When you said that everyone’s counting on me, Lou, I realised that for the two weeks that you led us, we had been relying heavily on your immaculate skills and quick-thinking, and you undoubtedly were the best captain our team has ever had.” Liam exhaled slowly, gathering his thoughts. “I saw you play harder than ever, shouldering the huge responsibility all on your own, but never once you blamed anyone when shit happens.” Louis and Liam chuckled. “You always told us the importance of playing as a team, always reminding us that if we win, we win as a team, and when we lose, we take it as another hurdle to pass, constantly getting better each time we practiced.” Liam smiled genuinely, staring right at Louis who had a smile of his own. “You really are a star, Lou. You brighten everyone’s mood instantly, and you lift our morals effortlessly, even when you’re down. And I realised that I could never beat you.”

  


“It’s not about _beating_ each other, Li.” Louis rolled his eyes playfully, shooting a smile Liam’s way. “We all have our talents, skills, strengths and weaknesses. The fact that Coach Morrison acknowledged your skills should be telling, no?”

  


Liam nodded. “Yeah, but he saw that I’ve lost myself in the process, while you stayed true to your passion right until the end.”

  


Louis laughed. “Well, it’s the only sport I love, Li. Of course I’d give it my all; not for _recognition_ , but for _myself_.” He grinned. “You’re an exceptional player, Li. I don’t know how much more should I emphasise that point, but we’ve been playing together for so long, and I just _know_.” He leaned backwards, relaxing, the corner of his lips quirking up. “But yeah, you’ve been a shitty asshole towards me for months so the least you could do is treat me like a king while I’m recovering.”

  


Liam groaned. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  


“It’s not meant to be _liked_ , Leeyum.” Louis smirked. “I accept your apology, but you’ll need to make up for being a dick.”

  


“Fine, whatever.” Liam rolled his eyes, no malice presented in his voice. “What would you like me to do, _Your Majesty_?”

  


Louis tilted his head upwards, wincing a bit from the movement, pondering. “Nothing for today, oh my humble _servant_.” Louis cackled when Liam made a disgusted face, his own face softening as he smiled. “But I guess I should apologise too, for the insults I threw at you when we had our ‘feud’.”

  


Liam waved him off. “Nah, that’s nothing. I’ve heard worse from you back when we were younger.”

  


“We really were two kids who always fought whenever we met, huh?”

  


Liam smiled at the memory. “Yeah, and look where it brought us.”

  


Louis nodded. “Best mates.”

  


Liam beamed. “ _Best mates._ ”

  


Liam stayed for more than an hour, sitting on the chair beside Louis as they chatted, reminiscing their childhood memories, recalling the pranks they did together despite Liam’s protests, always ended up dragging him to whatever shenanigans Louis and Zayn had in mind. Liam was gesturing wildly about the time they crashed into someone’s party, pretending that they were distant friends of the host, only to panic when the boy became suspicious and went to search for the host for verification. They were ready to run when he came back with the host, too drunk to recognise that they were in fact _strangers_ , drunkenly welcoming them inside with a drink in his other hand. He was swaying, the music was blaring, bodies grinded with each other, and they blended in just right. They stayed at the corner, of course, silently watching and judging everyone there loudly, knowing that no one paid them any mind as they raid the fridge and stole some fizzy drinks. They danced a bit, laughing maniacally when Zayn tripped and fell, causing him to be moody and they went home, singing at the top of their lungs all the way back, spending the night at Zayn’s house.

  


Without them knowing, Zayn was just outside the room, watching their interaction with a bright smile on his lips. He had sent Niall and Harry home, and he knew Liam was going to visit Louis so he drove to the hospital, confirming his suspicions. He observed as they talked animatedly, chuckling when they laughed loudly, the sound could be heard outside. He shook his head fondly, glancing one last time inside and turned around.

  


“Idiots.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


_“Harry…”_

  


_Harry groaned cutely, eyebrows furrowed as he swatted the intruder sleepily, eyes shut. He turned to his other side, curling inwards. He purred happily when the sound no longer interrupted his sleep, but when he felt calloused fingers dancing lightly on his smooth, milky skin, he abruptly woke up, immediately scooting away from the touch. His emerald eyes were wide in horror as he watched the all-too-familiar man at the bedside, smirking wickedly as he licked his lips._

  


_“Oh, Harry, are you scared?”_

  


_Harry was frozen in fear, unable to respond but his body was trembling vigorously, slowly backing away as the man climbed further on his bed. His back was flushed to the headboard when the man reached him, his big hand extending and caressed his curls. Harry avoided the touch, his teary eyes never leaving the man’s evil stare._

  


_“Shh, Harry, I’m not going to hurt you.” His smirk grew wider as he brought his hand down to his cheek, the touch burning his skin. “See? I’m just touching you gently.”_

  


_Harry shook his head, tears falling. “N-No… d-don’t…”_

  


_The man inched closer, his other hand running up and down Harry’s legs suggestively. “Don’t what, Harry?” He brushed the inside of Harry’s thigh, smirking when Harry shook his head and tried to push his hand away. “You don’t like this?”_

  


_“N-No…” Harry shook his head again, pleading eyes darted towards the sickening man. “P-Please… n-no…”_

  


_The man responded by lightly brushing his hand on his private part, making Harry shiver as he clamped his legs together tighter, head shaking continuously. The man then brought his hand under Harry’s shirt, roaming over his bare skin, relishing on the goosebumps appearing on where he was touched. Harry was sobbing silently, struggling to push the vile hand away but the man swiftly yanked him and pinned him down on the bed, hungry eyes staring right into his horrified ones._

  


_“Scared, boy?” Harry nodded, and the man let out an airy laugh. “Just be good and this will all be over soon.”_

  


“N-No… s-stop…”

  


Harry was sobbing in his sleep, head turning side to side, fists clenching as if he was fighting over something. As his nightmare progressed further, he thrashed around, feet violently kicking the duvet.

  


“No!”

  


He shouted, and he immediately woke up, sitting upright on the bed. His eyes were full with tears, his whole body sweating, and his pyjamas stuck to his body. He looked around warily, the fear still evident in his eyes. His curls were all over the places, his heart was pounding, thundering in his ears and his body was trembling. He tightly wrapped his arms around himself, frantic and alert eyes darting to every corner of his room, searching for the signs of any intruder, relaxing a little when he was satisfied that he was indeed alone. His dam broke, and he sobbed quietly into his quivering hands.

  


“Lou…”

  


Without thinking, he reached for his phone, dialling Louis’ number in autopilot. He brought the phone to his ear, waiting as he curled his knees against his chest, making himself as small as possible. He was still crying, silently wishing that Louis would pick up, and his heart calmed tremendously when he heard the _click_ sound.

  


_“Hazza?”_

  


“Lou…” Harry sniffled uncontrollably, his shoulders finally slumped, the tension leaving his body. “I c-can’t sleep…”

  


Harry heard rustling on Louis’ end. _“Why, baby? Are you okay?”_

  


Harry shook his head although Louis couldn’t see him. “N-Nightmare…”

  


He heard Louis sighed softly. _“Talk to me, love. I’m here. You’re safe.”_

  


“I-I w-was s-sleeping, a-and t-then…” Harry’s throat was closing up, and he tried to swallow thickly, but it was in vain. “I-I-”

  


_“Shh, baby, breathe for me.”_ Harry sobbed at the tender tone Louis was using. _“Breathe, baby. In, out, in, out. You’re okay, you’re safe. I promise. Just breathe.”_

  


Harry closed his eyes, willing his heart to calm at the sound of Louis’ gentle voice, and slowly, his throat began to clear up, and he took a deep breath to fill his lungs with oxygen. He was still sniffling, but overall, he’s calmed.

  


_“Better, Hazza?”_

  


“Y-Yeah… b-but I-I-” Harry struggled to find the words to say, but luckily, he didn’t need to do that.

  


_“You don’t want to talk about it now?”_

  


Harry nodded. “Y-Yeah… s-sorry…”

  


_“You don’t have to apologise, baby. I understand, it’s hard on you.”_ Louis paused, and when he spoke next, his voice was barely a whisper. _“I’m sorry that I’m not there with you, Hazza.”_

  


Harry quickly shook his head. “N-No, L-Lou… y-you’re hurt, and I’m s-sorry for c-calling-”

  


_“Hey, hey, none of that. I’m glad that you thought of calling me when you’re scared, but since I can’t be there, we’ll have to make do with my voice. Are you alright with that, baby?”_

  


Harry sniffled. “I wish you were here… your cuddles and scent always managed to lull me back to sleep…”

  


Louis chuckled lightly. _“Are you saying that my voice isn’t enough?”_

  


“U-Um… n-no…” Harry lightly cursed himself. “I-I mean… for now, it’s enough.”

  


_“Good. Then listen closely to me, okay?”_

  


“Okay…”

  


_“Lie down, baby. Flat on your back.”_ Harry obediently obliged, humming as a respond. _“Now, imagine only happy things, baby.”_

  


Harry stared at the ceiling, the corner of his lips tugged upwards as he recalled the memory of meeting Louis. He remembered being so smitten from the first encounter, the way Louis always took care of him even when they were practically strangers, the warmth of Louis’ body when they cuddled, the tender voice he always used to alleviate Harry’s panic attacks, and the soft, gentle touches that never failed to calm his nerves instantly. He remembered their first kiss, the first time Louis cooked for him, the delight on Louis’ face when he complimented his cooking, and the moment when Louis asked him to be his boyfriend. He had a bright grin by the time his mind went there, and he unknowingly giggled.

  


_“What were you thinking about that made you giggle like that, Hazza?”_

  


“I was thinking about the time when you asked me to be your boyfriend.” Harry was blushing, his cheeks felt warm. “I remember that I was beyond happy when you popped the question.”

  


Louis laughed. _“Yeah… I remember that too. I was so fucking ecstatic when you said yes. Felt like I was on top of the world, having someone like you as my boyfriend.”_

  


Harry smiled softly. “Someone like _me_?”

  


_“Yes, someone like you. You might not realise this, Hazza, but you are so much more than you think you are.”_ Harry was on the verge of tears. _“You’re an amazing person overall, a very strong young lad that had been through so much but your heart still has space for love, and I can see that beneath that heavily guarded eyes and heart, you just want to spread love and happiness to whoever needing it, expecting nothing in return, and that, Harry Edward Styles, is your most prominent trait, and I can’t help but fall helplessly for you each time.”_

  


Harry sniffled, his tears cascading in big, fat droplets. “But I’m _insecure_ , Lou… I have so many negative thoughts that override the positive ones, and it’s really hard…”

  


_“Nobody said it’s going to be easy, love. With your state, you’re prone to be vulnerable most of the time, and you’re susceptible, but that doesn’t mean you’re weak, baby. It just meant that you need more time to be acquainted with that part of yours, to be able to fully accept that it’s going to always be a part of you, but at the same time, you need to allow the positive thoughts in, so you can balance them both and get a better grip on your own emotions so you can’t be swayed easily.”_

  


Harry sobbed, his stomach doing flips upon hearing Louis’ coaxing voice over the phone, and he found himself nodding. “Aren’t you _tired_ , Lou?”

  


Louis snorted. _“Of taking care of you? Never in a million years.”_

  


Harry giggled, his hand flying up to wipe the tears. “You’re such a sap.”

  


_“Oi, not just me.”_ Harry chuckled. _“If my memory serves, you’re a much bigger sap than I am, baby. If anything, I learned from you.”_

  


They both giggled lightly, the air had completely shifted into a tranquil one. Even though they were taking a break from one another, they were always there for each other when they needed someone (mainly Harry since his nightmares were recurring), and Harry was thankful that Louis never pushed him away. If anything, their break had taught Harry about the importance of staying true to each other, and Harry had learned to trust his positive inner thoughts, as well as their friends, and deterred those negative thoughts that tried to invade his mind every time someone talked bad about Louis. _He knew Louis better, Louis would never do that_. Those were his reassuring mantra, and it helped him tremendously. He still had doubts, but he’d like to believe that he’s getting better at handling it, and he couldn’t wait to finally be back in Louis’ arms.

  


“I miss you so much, Lou.”

  


Harry could feel the smile spreading over Louis’ face, and it lit him up. _“I miss you too, babe. Been a while, huh?”_

  


“It has.” Harry smiled. “You better wait for me, Lou.”

  


_“Eh, I don’t want to. Waiting is a pain in the arse.”_

  


“Louuuuuuuu…” Harry whined petulantly, biting his lip when Louis laughed good-naturedly. “I’m trying.”

  


Louis sighed softly, and Harry could almost see the playful smile on his lips. _“I know, baby. Z, Ni and Li wouldn’t shut up about it, and I’m so proud of you.”_ A pause. _“I’ll be here, Hazza. Just remember that.”_

  


Harry closed his eyes, smiling, the remnants of his nightmare lost in the darkness of the night, replaced with fond memories that were burning brightly, illuminating the darkest forest residing deep within him. “And I’ll be there.”

  


⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

  


Things at school hadn’t been a breeze for Harry, mostly. The students had been gossiping about the rumour that Harry was the reason for the fight between Louis and Peter, and their version of the story was _twisted_.

  


“Hey Styles!”

  


Harry groaned before slamming his locker shut, turning to look at the person calling his name with a frown, eyes ignited in anger and exhaustion. He crossed his arm over his chest, annoyance etched on his face as a boy his age with black hair strutted over with a smirk.

  


“What do you want?”

  


“Whoa, easy there, Styles. No need to be so hostile.” The boy (Heath, as Harry knew him from his Math class) brought his hands up in mock surrender. “I just want to talk, mate. Or is _your boyfriend_ going to beat me up if someone comes anywhere near you?”

  


Harry wanted to punch the light out of him, desperately wanting to wipe off the smirk on his face but he kept his cool though he let his irritation showed. “I don’t need him to _beat_ someone for me, Heath. I can take care of myself. Besides,” Harry deliberately punched his locker, not flinching in the slightest even when he left a mark on it, smirking a little when Heath winced. “I can fight myself, you know?”

  


Heath gulped, seemingly taken aback but schooled his expression to mockery, matching the smirk on Harry’s face. “So, you’re trying to prove that you’re the next Tomlinson? Since he’s unable to even _walk_ -”

  


Harry gripped Heath’s collar, shocking him. “Say one more word about him and I’ll make sure _you_ won’t be able to _walk for a while.”_

__

  


__

Heath widened his eyes, his usual smirk gone, eyes reflecting fear upon seeing the unmistakable fury in those emerald eyes. Harry’s face was neutral, devoid of any emotions but his entire being was burning, deeply infuriated by the boy in front of him who knew nothing but tried to irk him nonetheless. He tightened his fists around Heath’s collar. “If I hear this shit coming from a prick like you again, I won’t hesitate to _strike_ , Heath. So stay out of my and Louis’ lives.”

__

  


__

Heath nodded quickly, and Harry let go of his collar, leaving him on the floor. He walked towards his class with his eyes staring right ahead, ignoring the hushed whispers from the witnessing students, happily humming a melody of his and Louis’ favourite song. He arrived at his class, scanning the classroom until his eyes landed on Niall and Liam. He grinned widely when Niall beckoned him over with a wave, scurrying over to sit at his usual seat by the window. He plopped down with a sigh, but he was smiling.

__

  


__

“Oi, H.” Harry turned, eyebrows raised. “You look happy. Did something happen?”

__

  


__

Harry chuckled. “Just handled a _prick_ , is all.”

__

  


__

Liam’s and Niall’s eyebrows shot to their hairlines, glancing at each other before giving their full attention to Harry. “What do you mean by _‘handled a prick’_ , H?” Liam questioned, a hint of worry laced in his voice. “Don’t tell me you got into a fight.”

__

  


__

Niall immediately checked Harry thoroughly, patting his body, arms, legs and examining his face in search for any injury, frowning when he didn’t find any. “He doesn’t have any bruise if he was in a fight, Li.”

__

  


__

Harry laughed at them, shaking his head in amusement. “No, it’s not _that_ kind of fight.” Harry raised his hand up when Liam and Niall opened their mouths, and they effectively listened. “More like verbal attack, trying to make me feel weak and guilty, and he even mocked Louis. I can’t have that, can I?”

__

  


__

“So…” Niall trailed off. “What did you do to him?”

__

  


__

Harry shrugged, eyes showing indifference. “Gripped his collar and threatened him, that’s all. And then I left him on the floor.”

__

  


__

Liam was in pure shock, while Niall just cackled. That drew everyone’s attention towards them, staring at them weirdly but Harry didn’t care. He smirked along, while Liam just shook his head with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Niall patted Harry’s back, grinning.

__

  


__

“Attaboy, Harry. Seems like Louis did his job right.” He smiled knowingly. “Even though he’s a bit more violent, especially when it comes to _you_.”

__

  


__

Harry blushed, ducking his head low. “I want to do the same for him too. I feel like it’s unfair, knowing that he must have done it way more than I ever did.”

__

  


__

Liam hummed. “Yeah, but he doesn’t care about all that. What’s important is that, you’re _safe_.” He rubbed his hands together, smirking as a hint of mischief glinted in his eyes. “I can’t wait to tell this to Louis.”

__

  


__

Niall grinned. “Hell yeah. I’m going to record his reaction and send it to you, H. You’ll see how proud he is, and he’ll be all heart-eyes, expression softening like he always did whenever your name is mentioned.”

__

  


__

That perked Harry’s interest, and he leaned closer. “Really?”

__

  


__

Liam chuckled. “Yeah, and it’s disgustingly adorable.” He grimaced while Niall laughed. “But I guess that’s normal, when you’re _head over heels_ for someone.”

__

  


__

Harry blushed crimson, biting his bottom lip as a giddy smile threatened to split his face in two. Liam and Niall snickered, teasing him relentlessly until he pouted but eventually, he laughed with them. Their little bubble was broken when their teacher came in, and in between breaks, he darted his eyes outside, skirting towards the sky, and smiled contently at the clear, baby blue sky with white, puffy clouds grouped together in clusters, and Harry giggled when he spotted some of the clouds forming a round pattern, like a ball, which instinctively reminded him of a certain cerulean-eyed boy. He compared the two hues of blue, and he decided that no matter how beautiful the sky was, nothing would ever compare to that specific shade of blue he had come to helplessly adore, painting his life with splashes of colours that he never knew existed, and he would cherish that boy forever.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would you like to see in future chapters? And what careers would suit them when they're adults? I'm thinking of teacher Harry, writer/drama teacher Louis (I have a thing for writer Louis, idk why), footballer Niall, gym trainer/footballer Liam, and artist Zayn. What do you think?
> 
> Throw your ideas and comments in the comment section below! Your thoughts are greatly appreciated! xx


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello loves! I'm sooooooo sorry for taking so long to update! I've been stumped with work, and it's draining me every day but I love it! As usual, thank you for staying behind to read my little story :) I appreciate all of you, so much <3
> 
> This is a long chapter, and I give you snippets on what's happening later on at the end of this chapter. Aaaaaaandd, it has a steamy scene, just a tiny bit of it, and it's my first time writing such scene, sorry if it's shitty. But you were warned! Please read with caution.
> 
> I'm thinking of doing a time jump next chapter, with more drama and conflicts coming in. Will they finally break, or will love wins? I guess we'll see :)
> 
> Stay safe everyone! Enjoy xx

# Greetings from the Past

“Harry!”

Harry turned around, beaming brightly when he spotted his favourite couple in the bakery waving energetically at him from the far corner. Immediately, he waved back and quickly finished up so he could spend his break with the friendly old couple who had become regulars at the bakery, always treating him like their own grandson, and Harry loved them. They doted on each other, and even Anne had a soft spot for the couple. Being senior citizens, Anne granted them generous discounts on all baked goods and beverages, prompting them to try different menu every time they visited Little Things. They loved the atmosphere in the bakery, and they definitely adored Harry and Gemma, along with Anne whom they considered as their daughter.

Harry grinned as he rushed to the couple’s side, sitting in between the couple and cuddled to Laura, squishing his face into her shoulder which made her giggle jovially before doing the same towards Paul, coughing a bit when Paul deliberately patted him on the back with added force and he pouted when he pulled away.

“Is this how you treat me after not seeing me for a while, Paul?”

Paul laughed. “I miss you, son. Don’t tell me you can’t handle a friendly pat.” He raised an eyebrow towards Harry, in which Harry just rolled his eyes fondly. “You’ve grown, Harry. Got a little taller over time, didn’t you?”

Harry smiled. “Yeah, grew a couple of inches, and I’m now of the same height as you, Paul!”

“Oh, hush, boy, you need a few more years to reach my height.” He smirked, earning giggles from both Laura and Harry. After a while, he smiled softly. “How’s school, Harry?”

At that, Harry sighed. “Well, school is as boring as it could be.” He chuckled while Laura and Paul just nodded, smiling. “A lot of things happened, that’s for sure, but as long as I got those lads and my family, I know I’ll be fine.”

Laura hummed. “Speaking about the lads, darling, I haven’t seen them for a while.” Laura looked concerned. “How are they?”

“They’re thriving, Laura. Liam and Niall are busy with football practices and matches, Zayn watches them all the time and he’s also doing an art project.” He paused, swallowing. “And Louis is… well… he’s um…” He glanced to Laura and Paul who wore expectant looks on their faces. “ _Recovering_.”

Laura and Paul gasped. “Oh no! What happened to him, sweetheart?”

Harry gulped. “He’s um… he got into a fight a few months back, and um… he needs to rest for at least 6 months, as well as attending physiotherapy for his knee.”

Laura watched as Harry played with his fingers, eyes glued to his lap, a tell-tale sign that he’s feeling _guilty_ so she reached out and gently held his hand. She smiled when Harry snapped his eyes towards her. “It’ll be okay, darling. He’s a tough young man, just like you.”

Harry’s bottom lip quivered. “But he got into a fight because of _me_.”

Paul suddenly clapped his hand. “Ha! I knew it!” He wiggled his eyebrows, and Laura just laughed at how childish her husband was sometimes. Harry looked at Paul in confusion. “You and Louis, both of you are a _couple_ , aren’t you?”

Harry blushed crimson, his eyes widening. “H-H-How d-do y-you-”

Laura caressed his cheek lovingly. “Oh, Harry! Do you think we won’t notice?”

Harry turned to her, his eyebrows knitted together with his face still flushed, and Paul rubbed his shoulder. “Son, I didn’t notice at first, but my wife here, she notices _everything_.” He laughed when Laura playfully slapped his arm. “We often interacted with your friends since they’re lovely young lads, always so respectful and kind towards us, and like you, we thought of them as our own grandsons.”

“And we watched how you acted with them, honey.” Laura chimed in, her face beaming with amusement. “You were spontaneous and playful with the other three, but with Louis, you’re the perfect epitome of a schoolboy with a crush.” She giggled when Harry blushed harder. “We saw you cuddling up to him, or the way you reacted to his soft touches, and we could feel the love radiating from him to you.” Laura smiled up to Paul, her eyes twinkling. “It reminded me of my own story with Paul.”

Paul reached out to hold Laura’s hand. “Yeah, and it is still a beautiful story, isn’t it, sweetheart?”

She nodded, clasping Paul’s hand and turned to Harry. “It is, and we also saw the pure adoration from his gorgeous blue eyes directed towards you and you only like you’re his _world_.” She brought up her free hand to brush Harry’s curls. “We love seeing both of you, and from our side, we can say that your friends are very supportive of you as well.”

Harry smiled, nodding. “Yeah, they are. Zayn and Liam are a couple, and Niall is seeing someone at the moment.” Laura and Paul raised their grey eyebrows, lips stretching into big smiles. “And she’s lovely, fits right in with us but she’s in London.”

“Long distance relationship, huh?” Paul pondered, putting his index finger and thumb on his chin. “That’s hard, but as long as they trust each other, I think they’ll be fine. Laura and I argued incessantly before, and we almost didn’t work, but we made it.”

Laura nodded. “True. We had a lot of ups and downs, countless quarrels and we seemed to have a difficult time in finding common grounds all the time with him being in America and me staying here, but in the end, love wins.” She tightened her grasp on Paul’s hand, a fond smile adorning her beautiful frame. “Always.”

Harry watched the old couple in awe. They’d been married for 50 years, and their love was still as strong as the first time they met each other, and the story about them being in a long distance relationship for quite some time always fascinated him. He didn’t know how they could be so strong, so inevitably trusting, and whenever he asked, they would simply smile and said “when you know, you know.” He recalled his own experience with _trust_ , something that he had established with Louis but he had an incredibly hard time to trust when he’s the most vulnerable.

“Laura, how did you overcome your insecurity?” Harry’s voice was quiet, and Laura patiently waited. “I mean, being so far apart, in different countries… how did you learn to _trust_? For all I know, Paul could be doing funny business behind your back-”

Paul interrupted. “Oi, son. I’m not that bad, you know.”

Harry smiled apologetically. “No, Paul, I’m just giving her an example. I know you’re so in love that you wouldn’t do that.” They chuckled, and Harry turned to Laura, his expression serious. “Just… _how_?”

Laura smiled, her eyes lingering a little bit too long on her husband. “If you’re asking me whether or not I had doubts, I assure you, I doubted him _a lot_.” Paul smiled. “As you know, he was a _bad boy_ back when we were teenagers; the resident playboy, as everyone called him. Yet, all those girls still fell for him, except me.” Laura smugly smiled, and Harry giggled. “I rejected him over and over, but he kept trying to the point that I heard no more rumours about him sleeping with random girls, and that took him five years.”

Paul shook his head. “If you were there, you would’ve asked me to give up, son.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because she’s _different_.” Paul glanced towards his wife, pure adoration filling his eyes. “While everyone else was charmed by my smile, she _despised_ me.” Laura chuckled. “It was like a challenge, at first, feeling like my pride was trampled over by a demure girl so I needed to find other ways to get her attention.” Paul stared outside. “I did a lot of things, but none of them worked. In one of our classes, we were paired together, but even then, she didn’t even spare a glance towards me, and I could practically feel the disgust and hatred radiating from her.”

Laura tightened her grasp. “And then, somehow, we just got paired in every project, and I hated them all.”

“True.” Paul laughed. “I almost gave up, but one day I saw her all alone at the park in the middle of the night, sitting on the swing with her head hung low. It was late, and there was no one in sight so I approached her, tapped her shoulder and she turned so fast that I stumbled backwards in shock.” Paul smiled sadly. “She was crying, and upon seeing me, she immediately got mad and yelled. I tried to calm her but she wouldn’t listen, instead, she hit me, pouring her heart out between cries and I just let her until she finally stopped and allowed me to hold her.”

“He stayed, and that’s the most important part.” Laura stated, wearing a proud smile. “We learned to get along starting from that night, and as we grew closer, we found out that we’re dealing with the _same_ issue, and from there, he stopped having girls around altogether, opted to hang out with me instead.” They chuckled. “He proposed on our graduation, and within our engagement, there were multiple events about him getting drunk and ‘accidentally’ bringing girls home, and I asked for a break.”

Harry gulped, swiftly reminded of his own relationship with Louis. _They’re taking a break too, on a completely different reason but sharing the same foundation; trust._

Paul grimaced. “I was _devastated_ , I swear. I tried calling her, texting her and even booked flights to see her so I could apologise in person.” He sighed. “But she was stubborn. She declined my calls and texts, and she refused to see me. I begged outside of her house, but she just told me to go, and from her voice, I knew she was suffering.”

Laura wiped a stray tear. “Who wouldn’t? I loved him so much, but he hurt me, and the break was what we needed. I found that he stayed in London the entire time, working from there, and I saw him walking down the street every day, glancing at my house with sad but hopeful eyes.” Paul rubbed her wrist. “It went on for months, until one day I saw him kneeling in front of my door late at night in the rain, and I rushed out, ready to scold him for acting stupid and for being drunk.”

“Was he drunk?”

“No, he was fully sober.” Laura sniffled. “But he was crying, and he profusely apologised, saying that he couldn’t live like that anymore, and that he needed me so he could be strong.”

Paul nodded. “It’s true. Those were the worst months of my life, and I really couldn’t function properly. During work, I faked my enthusiasm, but once I’m done, I was reminded of my idiotic self and how I lost the only woman I’ve ever loved. That’s why I went to her house, because I couldn’t lose her.” Paul put an arm around Laura’s shoulder, kissing the top of her head lovingly. “She was right about the break. It taught us to always appreciate the one who was there for us, who dealt with all our bullshit wholeheartedly, and to establish _trust_.” Paul and Laura smiled at each other, the love evident from the way they stared into each other’s eyes, and it melted Harry’s heart. “Since then, I never drank anymore, I proved to her that she’s the only woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and I’m so thankful that she forgave me and accepted me, up until this day.”

Laura softly caressed Paul’s cheek. “And it will always be you, darling.”

Harry watched as Paul and Laura lost themselves in the cuddle, finding himself smiling softly at how the old couple interacted with each other. He was forever in awe with the everlasting love filling their senses since they were 22, and he couldn’t help but think about him and Louis. Soon, it would be their first anniversary, yet so many things had happened, and one in particular forced them to take this break. He thanked the Gods that Louis still listened to him, still replied to his texts, compared to what Paul had to go through. He couldn’t imagine himself in his situation; even thinking about it felt dreadful.

“Harry, sweetheart?”

Harry jumped a bit. “Yes?”

Laura smiled, softly brushing his knuckles with her thumb. “It’ll be alright. If there’s one thing about Louis that I know, he will wait for you. No matter how long it takes.”

“B-But…” Harry swallowed thickly. “I’m _damaged_ , Laura. My insecurity gets the best of me most of the times, and I’m so _vulnerable_.” Harry looked down to his lap, eyes shining with tears. “He always had to _save_ me, and I don’t know for how long will he put up with me until he _gives up_.”

“Is that how little you think of me, Harry?”

Three heads snapped up to the voice, and Harry’s eyes widened comically. There, standing not far from their table, was none other than _Louis_. His face was unreadable, and for Harry, that’s the scariest part, because he couldn’t detect what Louis was feeling.

“Lou.” Harry stood up immediately. “It’s not-”

Louis smiled, but Harry could see that it was strained. “It’s fine.” He turned to Laura and Paul, his smile a little bit more genuine. “Paul! Laura! If it isn’t my favourite couple!”

Paul stood up, hugging Louis as best as he could with the crutches clamped under Louis’ arms. “You look like shit, Louis.”

Louis laughed in his shoulder, winking towards Laura. “But I’m still handsome, Paul, and you got no chance.”

Laura giggled when Paul just laughed, pulling away and holding Louis by his biceps, eyes darting to his knee. “How’s your knee, son? Harry told us you got into a fight.”

Louis waved him off. “Nothing I can’t handle, Paul. I’ve been good, and my doctor is impressed with my progress.” He pursed his lips when his eyes went to his knee. “But I still need more time before I can fully recover and walk without these damn crutches.”

“Well, I’m sure it won’t take that much longer.” Paul patted his shoulder. “But you shouldn’t stand, Louis. Come on, sit down.” He gestured to the seat beside Harry, and while Harry still stood there awkwardly, worry apparent in his body language, Louis simply grinned and plopped down to the seat, eyes wandering to Harry’s frozen state.

“Hazza, aren’t you going to sit?”

Harry stared at Louis confusedly, his eyes showing hesitance. Louis’ grin was still there, and instead of waiting for Harry’s response, he simply opened his arms, softening his expression to tell Harry that he didn’t take what Harry said seriously, and upon seeing the reassurance in his bright, cerulean eyes, Harry wasted no time to succumb into his embrace, hiding his face in the crook of Louis’ neck. He smiled softly when he felt Louis’ strong arms wrapped securely around his body, and _finally_ , he could heave a sigh of relief because he’s _home_.

“Harry really melted under your touch, Louis.” Paul laughed, while Laura just smiled in adoration. “He’s undoubtedly whipped.”

Louis smirked. “I’m _irresistible_ , Paul. How do you think I got this beautiful boy?”

Harry blushed a deep red, tightening his grip around Louis’ torso. He inhaled Louis’ scent, almost felt like crying from how much he missed having Louis in such close proximity, and Louis must had sensed his distress because he rubbed his back comfortingly while he continued chatting with Laura and Paul. Harry slowly pulled his head back, eyes glancing up to admire Louis’ side profile before resting his head on his shoulder, turning to listen to whatever the three of them were talking about. He occasionally joined in their conversation, butterflies erupting in his stomach when he felt Louis’ fingers rubbing circles on his hip, while his other hand sneakily reached out to entwine their fingers. He fought the smile threatening to split his face in two, opting to bite his bottom lip instead. He let Louis did all the talking, understanding the circumstances, and his insides felt warm at how accepting the pair was.

Once the pair bid goodbye to them, he felt a pair of warm lips attaching themselves on his temple, and he literally melted into a pile of goo. He closed his eyes, smiling happily as he relished in the feeling of being kissed by his boyfriend after being deprived for so long, even though it wasn’t a kiss on the lips.

“I fucking miss you.” Louis whispered, his warm breath tickling Harry’s neck, sending shivers down his spine upon listening the low timbre of his voice. “It’s been far too long, baby.”

Harry sighed. “And I miss _this_.” He tightened his grip on Louis’ hand. “I miss your hugs, miss your voice in person, and I just fucking miss _you_.”

Louis chuckled, the vibrations resonating against Harry’s chest, and it spread warmth all over his body. “Think it’s enough for a break? Or do you want _more_?”

Harry immediately shook his head, curls bouncing and tickling Louis’ chin. He turned to Louis, his face serious but pleading. “No, _please_. I can’t take it any longer. Being apart from you really opened my eyes, and I realised that I really wanted _us_.” Harry looked at him with wide, emerald eyes. “I’m still doubtful and insecure, but I want _this_. With you.”

Louis caressed his cheek, a warm smile on his lips as he stared right into Harry’s soul. “Are you sure?” Harry nodded. “Do you think you can trust me now?”

“I’ve always trusted you, Lou.” Harry bit his lip when Louis quirked up his eyebrow. “Okay, I know I let my anger got the best of me, but I got better, I swear.” He desperately tried to convince Louis. “You can ask Li, Ni, and Z.”

Louis laughed, shaking his head fondly. “I know, babe. Trust me, I _know_.” He brought Harry in a reassuring hug. “They wouldn’t shut up about you and your progress, and proud is an understatement, baby.” He pressed a soft kiss on top of Harry’s head, lips lingering there for a tad bit longer. “Thank you, for _trusting_ me.”

Harry smiled into the embrace, heart swelling in pride. “And thank you, for _being here_.”

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

The term had successfully ended, and it’s one week away to Louis’ birthday and their first anniversary. Harry was elated but nervous, constantly bugging his mum for ideas to celebrate both memorable events in Louis’ condition.

“Mum, please, help me.”

Anne sighed at her whining son, tired eyes glancing towards the boy who was looking at her pleadingly. “Harry, sweetheart, I told you, just cook something and bring it to his house. Preferably his favourite food, and maybe both of you can spend the entire birthday together if it bothers you so much.”

Harry froze, his eyes widened comically. “But Mum, his birthday is on Christmas Eve, and the next day is Christmas as well as our anniversary. I can’t leave you on Christmas Eve and spend it with my boyfriend instead, even though I _wanted_ to.” Anne rolled her eyes. “No matter what, family first, Mum. Besides, Gems’ coming home with Michal this time, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she’s bringing Michal this time, so maybe you can invite the lads over for Christmas?”

Harry hummed. “I think they’ll come here by themselves, Mum. Like they always did.”

They both laughed at that, already used to having the lads over whenever they wanted. “If that’s the case, then I hope Louis brings his little siblings along.” Anne clapped her hands, face brightening. “I miss them so much.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Mum, I’m your son, you know?”

Anne waved him off. “Yeah, but I’ve raised you for 17 long years, and plus, I miss having little children around.”

Harry chuckled. “Fine, I’ll tell him so you can dote on them and set me aside.”

Anne beamed. “Thank you, darling. You’re such a sweetheart.” She pinched his cheeks. “No wonder you got such a dear for a boyfriend.”

Harry shook his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I really got lucky, Mum.”

“You sure are, darling.” Anne smiled graciously, cupping Harry’s cheeks gently. “And you deserve it.” She then patted his shoulders. “Now, let’s call Gemma and ask for her opinion on Louis’ birthday and your anniversary.”

Harry brightened up instantly, nodding eagerly and they sat in the living room, setting everything up. When Gemma picked up, they talked about their days and Gemma’s plans on Christmas, eyes twinkling in excitement when Anne mentioned about Louis’ little ones.

“Ohh Mum, I miss them too!” Gemma exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see them once I’m home!”

Harry snorted. “I swear you both love them and Louis more than me.”

Gemma laughed. “Aww come on, Harry. We’ve been seeing you for the past 17 years, and then you finally got yourself a boyfriend and turns out, he got an army of adorable siblings!” Harry rolled his eyes. “What’s not to love when he takes such good care of you?”

Harry blushed. “I guess you’re right.”

Gemma snickered, loving the way Harry got all flustered whenever she teased him. “Yeah, and you’re so smitten.” She giggled when Harry blushed harder, hiding his face in Anne’s neck. “Anyway, I heard you need some ideas for Lou’s birthday and your first anniversary?”

At that, Harry perked up and opened his mouth to reply but someone beat him to it. “Whose anniversary?”

A tall figure came into the frame, and his lips quirked up into a huge smile upon seeing the two familiar faces on the screen. “Oh hi Anne! And hi Harry!” Anne and Harry grinned, waving excitedly. “How are you both?”

“We’re fine, thank you for asking.” Anne smiled brightly. “How are you, Michal? And how’s your family?”

“I’m good, thanks. And my family, they’re doing great too. Oh, and they sent their regards to all of you.” He chuckled, before his expression turned into that of a confusion. “I heard you were talking about anniversary. Whose anniversary is it?”

Gemma giggled, her eyes darting to Harry. “Harry’s. Can you believe it? My brother and his boyfriend is hitting their 1-year mark!”

Michal widened his eyes, his face lit up instantly. “Really? Wow Harry, congratulations!” He gave a thumbs up when Harry mouthed a small ‘thank you’. “Have you planned anything yet?”

Harry pouted. “No, I don’t know what to do to make it special in his condition.” He bit his bottom lip, a clear sign of his growing nervousness. “Mum suggested that I cook his favourite food and simply spending time with him.”

Michal hummed, while Gemma tilted her head upwards. “It’s not a bad idea, Harry. Since he’s still recovering, what you both can do is limited. Plus, last year, he cooked for you, didn’t he?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, and he gave me this too.” He flaunted his lotus necklace, and it still took his breath away from the way it glinted beautifully under the light. “I need to up my game.”

Gemma laughed. “Harry, you don’t need to, you know? It’s the little things that matter, and I’m sure he will be content just by spending time with you, talking about random and nonsense things, and simply show that you’re there.” Harry hummed, thinking. “About gifts, think about something that he really likes, or something that he had mentioned about wanting it, or if he didn’t say anything at all, think about him and what will bring a smile on his face.” Gemma smiled. “You should know that better than anyone, Harry.”

Harry smiled, nodding. “Yeah. I think I can come up with something.” He grinned. “Thanks Gems, Mick.”

They both beamed. “Anytime, little brother.”

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

Harry was busy the whole morning on December 24th. He spent last night wishing Louis a very happy birthday, proceeding to express his never-ending gratitude and feelings towards him while Louis just laughed and giggled, making him pout.

_“Louuuuuuu, I’m being serious here.” Harry whined, his bottom lip jutting out. “Stop laughing.”_

_That only spur Louis further. “I’m sorry, baby, but I’m just too overwhelmed by your openness.”_

_“Fine, I take it all back.”_

_“No, baby, don’t!” Louis immediately called out, and Harry smirked. “I’m sorry. I won’t laugh anymore.” Harry sensed that Louis was smiling fondly, and he smiled. “I loved it, Hazza. That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me, and I’m so glad that I have you. Thank you, for staying with me.”_

_Harry closed his eyes, his insides felt warm from the way Louis spoke. “I’ll be here until you get tired of me, which will never happen.” They both laughed, and they fell into a comfortable silence, before Louis broke it. “It’s our anniversary tomorrow, Haz.”_

_“Yeah. And I’m excited!”_

_Louis chuckled. “Me too. Can’t believe it’s been a year.” A pause. “Will you come over tomorrow?”_

_“I plan to, even if I’m uninvited.” They giggled. “It’s our special day, but I’ll come over late evening, is that okay?”_

_“Of course it’s okay. Family first, remember?”_

_Harry smiled softly, his eyelids fluttered shut. “Yeah.”_

_They talked a little bit more, and the last thing Harry heard was Louis singing Shania Twain’s Still the One before he fell into a deep slumber, a smile coating his feature._

Harry smiled, his cheeks sporting a pretty pale pink as he recalled last night’s events. He finished up the decorations on the cake, and carefully put it in the box, tying it with a blue and gold ribbon. He then ran upstairs, grabbing his present for Louis, grinning when he saw another present cutely wrapped, but that’s for tomorrow. For Louis’ birthday, he took a medium-sized box and put it in a bag before going down to the kitchen and picked up the cake box.

“Mum, I’m going to Louis’!”

Anne was sitting in the living room, smiling brightly when she saw Harry all bundled up, ready to go. “Alright, darling. Make sure you come home before 12, you hear me?”

Harry snorted. “Do you think I’m _Cinderella_ , Mum?”

Anne shook her head. “No, you’re nowhere near _Cinderella_.” She giggled when Harry pouted adorably. “I know you’ll want to spend the night there but not today, yeah?”

Harry hummed. “Then, can I stay over tomorrow?”

Anne nodded, smiling warmly. “Tomorrow, late evening. I want both you and Gemma with me all day.”

Harry grinned, wrapping Anne in a tight hug. “Of course, Mum.” He pulled away, picking up the cake and present and walked out. “See you later, Mum!”

Anne waved, watching as Harry walked towards the direction of Louis’ house. From afar, Harry could already see thin snow coating the Tomlinson’s front yard, and there were Christmas decorations all over, contrasting perfectly with the white fence guarding the house. He grinned as he heard the ruckus from inside the house, and before he could knock, the door swung open, revealing two little toddlers who looked up at him with wide, twinkling eyes.

“Harry!”

They rushed forward, hugging each of Harry’s legs, making him chuckle. “Hello Doris, Ernie! Miss me?”

They released their hold, waiting until Harry knelt down to their height with toothy grins. “Yeah! We miss you so much!” Doris pouted. “Harry hadn’t been here for so long, and LouLou was boring.”

“Who are you calling _boring_?”

The youngest twins widened their eyes comically, swiftly turning around and were met with a faux-stern Louis. Louis was standing with his crutches, intense blue staring at the two little children who were caught red-handed, a playful smirk toying on his lips. Doris and Ernie fidgeted, clearly dumbfounded as they were exposed. But apparently, Ernie was the braver one.

“We said LouLou is boring, Harry is fun!”

Harry cackled, earning a glare from Louis but his face quickly softened. He turned to the twins, automatically schooling his expression into a sad one. “If that’s the case, then I’m going away. You can take Harry and not see me again.”

“Noooooo!” Doris and Ernie ran towards Louis, tiny hands tugging at Louis’ sweatpants gently, mindful of his injury. Their eyes were glistening as they looked up to Louis, and Louis almost melted. “We want LouLou. LouLou is the best!”

Doris nodded fervently. “And we love LouLou!” They beamed in unison, turning their heads towards Harry. “Harry loves LouLou too?”

Harry sat there wide-eyed, shocked to the core at the unexpected question. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words escaped his lips. He felt his anxiety rising, his own throat closing up as he swallowed thickly. Luckily, Louis sensed his turmoil and came to his rescue.

“Come on, Doris, Ern, today is about me, remember?” He smiled at the twins, and the twins nodded. “So let’s go and celebrate!”

The twins squealed with joy, scrambling to join the chaos in the living room, conveniently leaving Harry and Louis alone. Louis nudged Harry with his crutch, chuckling when Harry jumped a little.

“Come in, Hazza. It’s cold outside.” He looked over to the square box and the small bag beside Harry. “Are those for me?”

“Huh?” Harry looked confused, before following Louis’ eyes. “Oh, um, yeah. For you.”

Louis beamed. “Cool! We’ve been waiting for the cake.” Louis walked ahead, glancing over his shoulder. “Let’s make the most of today, yeah?”

Harry stood up, taking the box and bag along as he strutted behind Louis, finding the loud noise endearing, and his heart melted at the sight of Louis’ siblings chattering happily with each other, their eyes sparkling as they played around with party hats and decorations. Harry could see their friends standing at the corner with Dan, a glass of drink in their hands, talking. Doris and Ernie were running around, squealing excitedly as the balloons bounced high up in the air, their little socked feet kicking the small metallic papers everywhere. Louis made their presence known by clearing his throat, smiling when all eyes were finally on them.

“Harry’s here!”

Niall immediately walked over and took the cake, placing it on the table before dragging Harry into a bone-crushing hug, pushing the air out of his lungs. After a moment, he pulled away, grinning.

“You’re late, H. Do you know that we’re starving?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Give me a break, Ni. We all know _you’re_ starving.”

Niall pouted, whereas everyone else just laughed. Phoebe and Daisy charged towards Harry, their wide blue eyes glimmering as they glanced up.

“We miss you Harry! When Lou said you’re coming, we tried our best to decorate the house with Fizzy and Lottie!” They gestured all around, pride showing on their features. “What do you think?”

Harry looked around, and he’s highly impressed with how neat everything turned out; the banner and scallops were securely hung (most likely Dan’s doing), the balloons were scattered everywhere, and colourful papers were thrown, making the living room a mess but he was sure that the mess was created as Louis walked down the stairs when he woke up. He turned to the twins, beaming.

“You did a splendid job!” The twins beamed. “I’m sure Lou loves it too.”

Louis snorted. “I almost got a heart attack when I got down, but whatever.” The girls threw some confetti his way, and he just laughed along with the other lads. “Right, I love it. So, since the cake’s here, let’s start the party!”

Everyone cheered, and the celebration was a success. The children, of course made a mess of themselves, smearing icing all over their faces and hands, and what seemed to be an innocent mistake turned to be a full-on smearing war, and the next thing Harry knew, everyone was chasing each other with icing on their fingers, laughter filling the air. Louis, being the poor, injured boy as he was, became everyone’s victim; his face, his hair and every inch of his exposed skin were daubed with splashes of colours, and he retaliated by swinging his crutches around, cackling as he did so, not at all bothered with how dirty he was. Eventually, the party died down, and looking at how exhausted the little ones looked, they urged them to clean themselves and take a nap, so the adults were left with cleaning tasks. Once done, the 5 best friends washed themselves up and hung out in Louis’ room, sprawled all over the room while Harry cuddled up to Louis’ side on the bed, leaning against the wall.

“I’m knackered, mate. Those kids really are full of energy.” Niall sighed, a smile on his lips. “How do you handle them, Lou?”

Louis chuckled. “When you grow up with an army of siblings like me, you just learn to adapt. It’s exhausting, and sometimes I thought how nice if I’m the only child or have just one other sibling.” He ran his fingers in Harry’s hair, softly massaging the scalp, smirking when Harry leaned in to the touch. “But then, if I’m the only child, I wouldn’t feel as happy as I am now. So I guess love changes everything.”

Harry stiffened at that, his mind going back to the question the youngest twins asked him earlier; _Harry loves LouLou too?_

Harry didn’t know how to label his feelings, but what he did know was he appreciated every little thing Louis did, and he really adored Louis’ details like the way the corner of his eyes crinkling whenever he laughed or smiled, the way his gorgeous cerulean eyes lit up whenever he saw Harry, the lads and his family, the sound of his voice, and his _touches_. He loved that Louis always kept him safe and warm, how sacrificing he was towards the people he loved, and the way he would jump in and protect, even at the cost of himself. He glanced up to Louis, silently taking in his details as Louis talked animatedly with the lads as he rationalised with his mind.

_I don’t know if this is called love, but what I know, I’m falling for you, hard._

“So, Li, how’s the team? Heard that you did an excellent job leading the team, losing only three matches this term.” Louis asked Liam who had a blush on his cheeks, scratching the back of his neck. “That’s a great achievement, so congratulations!”

Liam let out an airy laugh. “Well, I think it’ll be better with you, but I’m trying my best to play for me, and for you, Lou.” Liam grinned. “The team has improved, and I’m still learning to be a good leader, but they’re all so supportive that I feel like nothing can tear us apart anymore.”

Niall nodded. “Yeah, now that the torn in our team had been kicked out, the team is stronger than ever.” He looked over to Louis. “We wish you could see us practice, Lou. We want to show you just how much everyone has changed. And let’s face it, Coach Morrison misses you too.”

They laughed merrily, and Louis shook his head slowly. “Yeah, I’m itching to go to the pitch and watch you lads, so maybe sometime later when Dan’s not working.”

“You know I can come and get you, Lou.” Zayn chirped in. “Just give me a call and I’ll come running to you.”

Louis smirked. “Aww Z, don’t say that, I might fall for you.”

Zayn winked. “Doesn’t hurt to try.” He got up from the floor, slowly climbing the bed and kissed Louis’ cheek affectionately, his hand lingering to his other cheek a little longer, pulling away slowly and stared right into Louis’ eyes. “You don’t look too bad anyway.”

Louis matched the intensity of Zayn’s stare, smirking. “And you’re the definition of _perfection_.” He inched closer, trying hard to stifle his laugh when he saw Zayn’s lips tugging up at the corner. “Want to give it a go?”

Zayn shrugged, hiding the smile on his lips. “If you’re brave enough.”

Louis nonchalantly pecked the corner of Zayn’s lips, taking him by surprise. Niall cackled, while Harry and Liam just stared at them both with wide, incredulous eyes. Louis had a smirk on his lips, seemingly satisfied at Zayn’s frozen state and laughed loudly when Zayn aggressively wiped his mouth, a disgusted but amused look in his eyes and face.

“Damn, Lou, you really can’t back down from a challenge.”

“Of course not.” Louis wiped a stray tear at the corner of his eyes. “And your face… it’s _priceless_.”

“Yeah, Z, you should see your face.” Niall said in between laughter. “And look, Li and H had malfunctioned.”

Then only the two best friends looked over to their boyfriends, and indeed, they were staring at them with wide, blank eyes. They glanced at each other before bursting into another fit of laughter, the loud ringing echoed across the walls.

“I guess this is the first time they ever saw us being flirty and _affectionate_ , Z.” Louis smirked, earning a nod from Zayn. “We really gave them a show, didn’t we?”

Zayn’s eyes darted over to both Harry and Liam. “Rest assured, boys. We’re definitely _not_ in love with each other.” He ruffled Louis’ hair. “But we did this before, Lou. And I remember being so disgusted afterwards.”

Louis chuckled. “Yeah, and you hit me.” They smiled. “Those were the times, Z.”

“Yeah. Good old times.”

Liam and Harry stayed quiet throughout the conversation, only joining when they felt fit, and unconsciously, Harry’s grip on Louis tightened, claiming his stake whenever Zayn got closer to Louis, sending death glares Zayn’s way. Louis noticed this, so he assured Harry by gently tapping his waist, while his other hand squeezed one of Harry’s arms that was splayed over his stomach. Harry immediately loosened his grip, glancing up to see Louis already looking at him with a soft smile, and it made him smile too.

After a while, the other three boys left, and it’s finally just him and Louis. He quickly climbed up the bed, once again claiming his spot beside Louis and kissed him hard. Louis widened his eyes, stunned when Harry kissed him aggressively, not giving him any chance to breathe, proceeding to bite his bottom lip. Louis’ eyelids fluttered shut, wrapping his arms around Harry firmly, his hands rubbing Harry’s back as the kiss deepened, tongues clashing for dominance. Louis hands roamed all over his back before slowly slipping inside, his palms touching Harry’s skin. The cold feeling on his warm skin made him moan lightly, and Louis took the chance to bite Harry’s bottom lip, smirking when his moans got louder but not enough for the people outside to hear. Louis released his lips, relishing at the sight of Harry’s red, swollen lips, along with his dilated pupils. He groaned softly, slowly kissing the underside of Harry’s jaw down to the length of his neck. Harry tilted his head back, giving more room for Louis to explore, and he let out a moan when Louis bit and sucked his neck, leaving a small but noticeable hickey.

“Mine.”

He shivered, eyes closing as the sensation intensified, Louis’ warm breath as he declared his claim tickled the sensitive skin of his neck. He felt Louis’ hands moving to his stomach, roaming up, and his breath hitched when Louis’ fingers grazed his nipples lightly, causing him to grind down on his left thigh, his own hands gripping Louis’ shoulders tightly.

“Lou…”

Louis stopped his attack on Harry’s neck, making him whine softly at the loss. He teasingly brushed the pads of his thumbs over Harry’s hardened nipples, smirking when he arched his back, stifling a moan. “What do you want, baby?” He softly pinched the buds, eliciting another moan from Harry. “Do you want me to touch you _more_?”

Harry nodded, his bottom lip bright red and swollen from how hard he was biting. “Please…”

“Please what, baby?” Louis latched his mouth onto Harry’s neck as his hands travelled lower, teasing the waistband of his jeans. “Tell me what you want.”

Harry’s mind was a mess, the overwhelming sensation taking over his entire being, and all he could think about was _Louis_. “Want you…”

Louis groaned. He was getting hard himself, the length strained in his sweatpants as Harry continued letting out delicious moans while grinding down on him. He kissed and sucked, one hand unbuttoning Harry’s jeans while the other hand supported his body, slipping inside his boxers, and Harry gasped loudly when Louis gripped his dick, shuddering when Louis brushed the pre-cum over his length. Immediately, he launched forward, kissing Louis full on the mouth, _hard_. Louis deepened the kiss, swallowing every moan escaping Harry’s lips as his hand moved up and down in a slow pace, experimenting. Harry pulled back, panting as he rested his forehead against Louis’.

“L-Lou… fuck…”

“Does it feel good, baby?”

Harry nodded, words failing him as ecstasy filled his senses, clouding his mind even further, and Louis quickened his pace, watching as Harry tilted his head back, shutting his eyes tightly.

“M-more…”

Louis complied, pushing Harry’s shirt up and licked his perky nipples, causing Harry to buck his hips forward with a loud moan as he arched his back, more cum leaking at the simultaneous stimulations on his most sensitive parts.

“L-Lou… please… I can’t…”

Louis bit the pink buds, toying them with his teeth and tongue as he stroked him faster, using the cum as lubricant, easing the glide. Harry was panting heavier, his chest and stomach heaving in quick motions, and he couldn’t help but buck his hips in time with Louis’ strokes to gain more friction, uncaring with how the bed creaked under him, not when Louis’ hand and tongue felt _so good_.

“I’m close…”

Louis let go of his nipples, craning his head to Harry’s ear. “Let go, baby.”

Harry came with a shout of Louis’ name, and Louis groaned lowly as he came in his pants, resting his head in the crook of Harry’s neck. They were panting and shaking as they came down from their high, strings of white coating Louis’ hand and between their bodies, but they couldn’t care less even if it was disgusting. Harry slumped over Louis, arms tightening around him, pressing their bodies closer and buried his face in Louis’ hair, breathing deeply. They stayed like that for a while before Harry pulled away, sticking their foreheads together, staring right into Louis’ eyes.

“That was…”

Louis smiled. “Amazing.”

They both giggled quietly, the moment felt far too intimate to allow loud voices to permeate the tranquil situation they’re in. Louis brought his clean hand up, caressing Harry’s face. “How do you feel, baby? Did you feel forced, or did I trigger something?”

Harry shook his head slowly. “No, Lou. What I felt when you touched me was pure want and _ecstasy_.” He kissed the top of Louis’ nose. “I felt safe, and I knew you’d take care of me and that you won’t do anything without my consent.” He pecked Louis’ lips, his hands coming up to cup Louis’ jaw. “I _trust_ you, Lou, and you made me feel so good.”

Louis smiled, honesty reflected in the emerald eyes boring right into his soul. “I’m glad.” He leaned forward, kissing Harry in a soft, languid way. “And this is by far the best birthday gift ever.”

“Oh!” Harry widened his eyes, pulling himself back and ignoring Louis’ protests. “Your gift!”

“ _That_ wasn’t the gift?”

“ _That_ was accidental!” Harry blushed crimson, avoiding Louis’ amused gaze and smirk. “I just felt a little bit jealous and I… um… I wanted to… uh…”

Louis chuckled. “You wanted to _claim_ what’s _yours_?”

Harry slowly nodded, his eyes darting down, grimacing when he saw the sticky substance on his stomach and dick. “I feel gross.”

Louis laughed. “Yeah, let’s clean up, shall we?”

Harry stood, extending a hand to help Louis up. They cleaned up after themselves and changed into clean clothes, Harry humming happily when he got to wear Louis’ clothes after so long. Louis chuckled when Harry hugged him from behind, pressing his cheek between his shoulder blades. Louis dragged him along to the bed, and Harry immediately rummaged the small bag he brought, shoving it to Louis.

“Your _actual_ present.”

Louis took the box with a beaming smile, admiring the way the box was neatly wrapped. “Can I open it?”

“It’s yours, Lou. Of course you can open it.”

“Sassy.” Louis laughed, carefully unwrapping the gift. He held the box in his palms, glancing at Harry who was nervously playing with his fingers, and opened it slowly. He was at a loss of words upon seeing the gift, his face blank but he could feel the butterflies erupting in his stomach. Harry bit his bottom lip, hating the way Louis could school his expression so naturally.

“Do you… um… do you l-like it?” When he didn’t receive any response from Louis but shining eyes, he fidgeted. “If you don’t like it, it’s okay. I can just keep it myself-”

Louis leaned forward, effectively shutting him up with a searing kiss. Just as Harry’s brain registered the kiss and moved his lips, Louis pulled away, smirking when Harry pouted. He took out the present and wore it on his wrist, softly smiling as he admired the cute rainbow bracelet with their initials in the middle. Louis could tell that Harry put a lot of effort with how carefully tied each string was, and the initials were sewn, no doubt Harry’s own work. He kissed the bracelet, smiling when he saw Harry’s proud face.

“I love it, Hazza.” He reached out for Harry’s hands, kissing his knuckles. “I love that you took the time to make something so meticulous like this.” He brought Harry into a tight embrace, whispering into his ear. “I love you.”

Harry froze in Louis’ arms, his heart stopped beating as his mind processed the information he just received. _Louis loved him? That couldn’t be true, could it? He misheard things, didn’t he?_

Louis kissed his temple, seemingly sensing Harry’s inner conflict. “I know what you’re thinking, and it’s perfectly fine.” Louis pulled away, smiling as he stared into Harry’s dumbfounded eyes. “And I know what the twins asked weighed heavily in your mind, but I won’t force you, Harry. I just want you to know that I love you.”

Shiny emerald bored into twinkling navy, finding nothing but the truth. Words were non-existent at this point, because their eyes spoke for what was felt; _admiration, love_ and _care_.

“Lou, I-”

Harry’s phone rung, startling them both. He took out his phone with shaky hands, groaning when he read the caller’s ID but picked up anyway. “Hi Gems.”

_“Put on the speaker, Harry.”_

“But-”

_“No buts. I want to talk to Louis.”_

He furrowed his eyebrows at his sister’s odd request, looked at Louis whose face was etched in confusion, shrugged and put on the speaker.

_“Hi Lou! Happy birthday! How are you?”_

Louis laughed. “Hi Gemma. Thank you, and I’m great! Thanks for asking.” He smiled. “How are you?”

Gemma giggled. _“I’m splendid. But listen.”_ Louis nodded even though Gemma couldn’t see him. _“Harry’s been out for so long, and I miss him. Can you please send him back to us?”_

Louis smirked while Harry whined. “Come on, Gemma, It’s only been a few hours.” He glanced to the clock on his nightstand. “It’s 6 o’clock. Can I give him back after dinner?”

_“Fine, I’ll pick him up at 7.30.”_ Louis could hear the playfulness in Gemma’s tone, and he grinned. _“No excuses, Louis.”_

“Sure, Gemma.” Louis rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, both of them smiling. “See you later.”

_“Bye!”_

Immediately after ending the call, Louis asked Harry about his new year plans, and what he wanted for his 18th birthday next year. Part of the reason was he wanted to spend at least a day with him or maybe they could all go somewhere together since Gemma and Michal were here. The other part was to distract Harry from thinking too much about what he said, because he knew Harry still needed time to figure out his feelings. He knew Harry cared a lot, but to detect it as ‘love’ wasn’t easy. So he would wait and be there for him.

True to her words, Gemma came with Michal to his house, grinning widely as Louis’ siblings greeted them both. They played and chatted with them for a while, before Gemma basically dragged Harry out of Louis’ embrace, ignoring the whine escaping his lips and waved them goodbye. He smiled when Louis blew him a kiss, mouthing ‘see you tomorrow’ and they both parted with warm, full hearts.

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

On Christmas, as promised, they spent the day with their families, Harry having a blast with his mum, Gemma and Michal. Michal was a lovely guest, effortlessly stealing their hearts every time they met, and Harry could see how happy Gemma was with him. He remembered Gemma first break up which caused her to fall into depression and it took her a long time with tedious therapy sessions for her to get back up. It was hard for the three of them, and Michal was there all the way. They started as best friends, and Michal fell for her first, sacrificing his own feelings after Gemma dated someone else for the sake of not losing the friendship. After she broke up, Michal never left her, and he even accompanied Gemma to her appointments. Harry recalled the moment Michal decided to confess, and he was in tears when Gemma cried out of joy. He was thankful that Gemma met someone like Michal, who put her before himself, and in many ways, Louis resembled Michal.

“Gems?”

Gemma was lounging in Harry’s room after lunch, watching as Harry packed his overnight bag. “Yeah?”

“When did you realise that you loved Michal?”

Gemma chuckled. “What’s this about? Did something happen between you and Louis?”

Harry stopped packing, turning to look at Gemma. “When I went to his house yesterday, Doris and Ernie greeted me, telling Lou that he was boring.” They both giggled. “And Lou pretended to be hurt only for the twins to cling to his legs and declared their love for him.”

Gemma hummed. “And then what happened?”

“They asked me if I _love_ him.”

“What did you say?”

Harry sighed. “I… I didn’t say anything.” Gemma furrowed her eyebrows, but Harry continued. “I mean… I don’t know how to label my feelings. Lou must have sensed my inner conflict because he immediately distracted the twins. And… um…”

“What, H?”

“He… um… after the boys left, we were cuddling.” Gemma nodded, prompting Harry to talk more. “He told me that he _loved_ me.”

Gemma instantly lit up, clapping her hands excitedly as a face-splitting grin etched on her beautiful face. “Finally! Oh God you don’t know how long I’ve waited for this!” Gemma laughed heartily, her brown eyes glimmering in happiness. “I’m so happy for you, Harry!”

“I know, and I’m happy too.” He ran a hand in his hair. “But, Gems, I…”

Gemma smiled knowingly. “Do you need clarifications on your own feelings, H?” When Harry nodded, Gemma leaned against the headboard, her eyes never leaving Harry. “Then tell me H, what made you _like_ him?”

“I was attracted to him from our first encounter.” Harry replied right away. “He was basically a stranger, but I felt _safe_ , safer than I’d ever been when I’m in his arms. It’s strange, since I’m usually repulsed by hugs from strangers whenever I had my attacks, but with him, it’s like getting hugs from you and Mum; _warm_ and _safe_.” Harry smiled. “I remember being captivated by his calming voice and kind blue eyes, the ones that never judged me. And as we grew closer, I memorised the little details about him; the way the corner of his eyes crinkles whenever he smiles and laughs, his laugh, his _touches_.” Harry rolled his eyes when Gemma smirked, but then his expression softened. “I love the way he always puts others before himself, always ready to fight and protect those he loves, and I absolutely adore the way he always looks out for me, always thinking of my best interests, and most importantly, he knew about my past, knew how broken and damaged I am, but he accepted all of me wholeheartedly, choosing to love me unconditionally even when I’m insecure, doubtful and vulnerable.” He looked out of the glass door, smiling softly. “All in all, I just love all of him.”

Gemma smiled when Harry widened his eyes comically, his mouth parting as realisation hit him. “You’ve answered your own question, haven’t you?”

Harry slowly nodded, blushing hard. “I…”

Gemma scooted away from the bed, joining Harry on the floor and took his hands, peering into Harry’s shiny, emerald eyes. “It’s scary, I know, _falling in love_.” She smiled. “It was like that for me too, and I was in denial for quite some time because he was my best friend, and I didn’t want to jeopardise what we had for my feelings, but the universe works in a funny way, doesn’t it?” She stared into his eyes. “I was confused, just like you when he first said those words to me, but I freaked out. I asked my friends for clarifications, and they asked me the same question I just asked you, helping me to realise that I indeed was falling for him.” She chuckled softly. “I was scared at first, and I even avoided him but he was persistent, and look at where we are now.” She squeezed Harry’s hands. “Hang on to what you have, Harry. That boy is a keeper, just from the way he looks at you. I just knew that he will sacrifice himself if it means making you happy, and even if something happens, he will make sure that he’s the one in the receiving end, not you.”

Harry knitted his eyebrows together. “What does that mean?”

“If, and I say _if_ , one day something tests both of you and it literally breaks you apart, I’m sure he will be the one who takes all the blame, and if you happen to find someone else before him, he will still be there, even if it hurts him, as long as you’re happy.”

Harry’s eyes were teary, and he violently shook his head. “No, no. I will never hurt him, Gems.” A single tear fell on his cheek. “Not when he takes such good care of me.”

Gemma smiled. “Then hold on to him, Harry. You both love each other so much, both of you taking such good care of one another, and I’m happy that he can become your safe place. So please, don’t let him go.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Gemma squeezed his hands, bringing him into a warm hug before playfully shoving him away, making him whine. She laughed. “Pack your bag and go get your boyfriend.”

Harry grinned brightly, and he carelessly put the last of his belongings into the bag, strutting downstairs with Gemma and hugged everyone goodbye. He speed-walked to Louis’ house, and before he could knock, the door swung open, revealing a glowing Louis who pulled him into a big hug, his crutches clinking loudly on the floor.

“Happy anniversary, baby.” He nuzzled his nose in Harry’s curls. “And Merry Christmas.”

Harry closed his eyes, smiling widely as he returned the hug, deeply inhaling Louis’ sweet scent as he buried his nose in his neck, the soft, feathery hair tickling his cheek. _Home_.

“Happy anniversary, Lou. And Merry Christmas to you too.”

Harry’s soft whispers in his deep voice sent cold shivers down his spine, and he squeezed one last time before letting go, the grin never leaving his face. Harry’s arms were still wrapped loosely around his waist, and he cupped Harry’s face gently. “Come on, leave your bag here.”

He momentarily pulled away from Louis and put his bag down in the hallway, taking the crutches along. “Where are we going?”

Louis took the crutches, mouthing ‘thank you’ and nudged Harry, tilting his head sideways. “To our safe haven.”

Harry’s eyes lit up, eagerly leading the way and Louis laughed at his excitement. He often went there _alone_ , reminiscing the memories with Louis as he reflected on their break, and he’s ecstatic to go there with Louis, again. They talked as they walked, and in no time, they reached the entrance, smiling as they saw some families playing at the playground. The snow wasn’t as thick as last year, but it was still freezing, and they quickly followed the familiar path to their hideout.

“No surprises this year?”

Louis turned to see the playful smirk on Harry’s lips, and he smiled. “You’ll see.”

When Harry’s eyes landed on the thinly covered prairie, he couldn’t detect anything different from the last time he was here, except that time it wasn’t snowing. He furrowed his eyebrows, turning to Louis. “It’s just the same.”

Louis hummed. “Look closely, love.”

He squinted his eyes, stepping forward tentatively as his eyes roamed around the vast area, and he was about to complain when he stepped onto something. He glanced to Louis, and Louis just nodded so he bent down and took the object, flipping the small envelope before opening it.

_When blue meets green, the once mundane life becomes thrilling where every day is like a breath of fresh air, each glance stealing a part of blue, filling blue’s heart with curiosity._

Harry looked over to Louis, finding him already smiling. He gestured for Harry to keep walking, and this time, Harry walked with his eyes on the ground, perking up when he saw another envelope.

_Green is a treasure of mysteries, but blue somehow understands. From the eyes, blue can see the clouded forest residing deep within, but it’s intriguing to blue. Green is a dark forest; blue is a hectic light, the contrast setting them aside beautifully._

Harry giggled at the comparison because it described them perfectly. Inside the envelope, there was another item and when Harry brought it out, he smiled at the round pendant, lush trees and the sun engraved on it. He pocketed the envelopes and notes, but kept the pendant in his palm. He walked and saw the next envelope sticking out from the snow, rushing forward and picked it up.

_Blue and green learn about each other, and blue finally pieces it up together. Green always sees himself as damaged and broken, but little did green know, blue thinks that green is amazing just the way he is. A hidden gem in the sea of treasure, as blue describes him._

There were tears in Harry’s eyes now, his bottom lip quivering. He turned around with glossy eyes, only for Louis to smile and put up two of his fingers. ‘Two more’, he mouthed, and Harry nodded. He turned, instantly seeing the second last envelope and rushed to pick it up.

_Blue and green get together, and even when things get rough, blue always believes that they’re stronger together. Rough patches can always be mended with communication, blue thinks, and it’s been proven many times. Blue absolutely loves it when green talks to him about his insecurities and issues, finding every little aspect of him beautiful and perfect._

Harry let the tears fell down his cheeks, and this time, he didn’t look back. He kept walking, and finally taking the last envelope in a shape of a heart, carefully opening it.

_To green,_

_Blue loves you. So much._

_Thank you for accepting blue for who he is._

_Happy 1 st anniversary, Green ♥_

_Yours truly, Blue._

Harry was full-on sobbing, utterly touched by how Louis expressed his feelings for him. He didn’t even realise Louis had walked up to him with a gentle smile on his face, slowly wrapping his arms around Harry. He kissed the back of his head.

“Here’s to many more years to come, love.”

Harry immediately turned, smashing their lips together before pulling away and hugged Louis so tightly that Louis choked, but he didn’t mind. He let Harry cry, shushing him while he rubbed his back up and down soothingly, kissing his shaking shoulder. Louis shifted his whole weight on his left leg, silently thankful that Harry was holding him firmly, and when Harry finally let go, he chuckled at the sight of a very dishevelled Harry – face flushed, nose red, eyes puffy, and some tears were still trailing down. He wiped the tears, and before he could say anything, Harry kissed him; a soft, slow kiss, sticking their foreheads together as emerald pierced into cerulean.

“I love you, Lou.”

When Louis beamed, Harry acknowledged that not even the sun could compare to the radiance shining from Louis, and he couldn’t help but match the grin as he felt at peace with his declaration of love towards his boyfriend. He was scared at first, with his newfound feelings, and he was having second thoughts about confessing, but when he read the notes, his feelings were confirmed, and deep inside, he knew he made the right decision when Louis stared into him with love-filled eyes.

“And I love you, my sweet Hazza.”

They giggled, sitting down on the little grass amidst the snow, leaning against each other as the sun set. They didn’t talk much, simply basking under the golden sun with each other’s company. As the orange sky turned blue, the moon peeking from the clouds, they made their way home, chatting idly. They didn’t notice the person walking past them, but the person stopped not far behind, made a double take and lit up.

“Harry?”

Both Harry and Louis stopped walking abruptly, turning their heads around to the approaching figure. The person basically didn’t give time for Harry to react before he was brought into an embrace that felt far too foreign for him.

“Um…”

“I knew it was you.”

Harry widened his eyes. He _knew_ that voice. “Ed?”

Ed pulled away, grinning. “Yeah! It’s me!” He laughed. “It’s been a while, mate! You’ve grown so much in the years I haven’t seen you.” He patted Harry’s curls and arms. “Have you been working out too? Why?”

Harry, who was weirded out the entire time, slowly pried his body away from Ed’s hold, stepping closer to Louis, his nerves relaxing at Louis’ touch. “Yeah, just want to try different things, I guess.” He gave him a tight smile. “How are you, Ed?”

“I’m great. Here to visit my cousin, didn’t know that I’d bump into you.” He chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You moved here?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, moved here last year.”

“I see.” Ed smiled, his eyes darting to Louis, finally acknowledging his presence, extending his hand. “Hey, mate. You’re from here?”

Louis shook Ed’s hand. “Yeah. Been here my whole life. You’re a friend of Harry’s?”

“His childhood friend.” He announced proudly, and Harry was getting restless. “Moved to London a few years back, and lost contact with him.” When Louis nodded and moved to stand beside Harry, Ed noticed the way Harry scooted closer to him, as if seeking for comfort, and Louis complied by putting an arm around his waist, gently tapping it. Ed could see the instant slump on Harry’s shoulders and the relief on his face, the tension leaving his body. He narrowed his eyes, glancing back and forth between them. “I’m sorry, but what are you?”

The question was directed towards Louis, and as Louis opened his mouth to speak, Harry interjected. “Boyfriends. Been together for a year.”

Ed widened his eyes. “Really? But you just moved here last year, didn’t you?”

“And?” Louis spoke, his tone defensive. “What’s wrong with that?”

Ed was taken aback by the tone of Louis’ voice, and he backtracked. “N-No, nothing wrong with it, just…” He looked to Harry, whose gaze hardened. “You both barely knew each other.”

“At least he was by my side, genuinely supporting me and not _forced_.” Harry spat, and even Louis was surprised by the venom in his tone. “Why does it matter to you anyway?”

Ed sighed. “Look, Harry, I’m just concerned.” He glanced at Louis. “I can do that as a friend, can’t I?”

Harry snorted. “If you’re _that_ concerned, perhaps you should’ve shown it sooner. And no, there’s absolutely nothing to be worried about because apart from my family, he’s the one who has been taking such good care of me.”

Ed blinked, astonishment obvious on his face. “But-”

“I think that’s enough.” Louis interrupted, shifting the attention to him as Harry’s getting agitated. “I don’t know what happened between you, but he’s in good hands. He’s in a good place, he has good friends, he has a supportive family, and he has _me_.” Louis emphasised himself, smirking. “He doesn’t need to be reminded of his old self, and you certainly don’t need to open up old wounds and scars from the past. He’s on his way towards healing, and I would appreciate it if you leave the past where it belongs.”

Ed stared at them both, a conflicted emotions dwelling inside him. Eventually, his eyes settled on Harry. “You’ve changed.”

“Time and experience change a person, Ed.” Harry rolled his eyes. “I’m here for a change, and I’m getting it. Like he said, I’m on the path of healing. I’m not the scared boy you once knew anymore, not the boy you were _forced_ to befriend and protect.”

Ed looked offended. “Is that how you see things? Quite negative, aren’t you?”

“He is.” Louis chirped in, his tone calm. “And he relies on his feelings too. His instincts are strong, and if he feels certain ways towards something, you just need to trust him.” He tightened his grip on Harry’s waist. “Tell me, Ed, were you forced?”

“What do you mean by ‘forced’? Did I mean that little to you, Harry?”

“Why are you deflecting that question, mate?” Louis rushed, annoyance spiking up. “It’s a simple yes or no question, so answer me.”

Ed laughed mockingly. “You know what, I’m not going to answer something as stupid as that.” He looked at Harry. “I thought it’d be a cheerful reunion, it being Christmas and all, but I guess I was wrong.” He turned around his heels, glancing over his shoulder. “Have fun with your _boyfriend_ , Harry. Merry Christmas.”

They watched as Ed’s silhouette merged with the dark, and Harry burst out. “Fucking _friend_.” He breathed out between gritted teeth, his fists clenched. “He was the one who left, the one who talked shit about me, and now he’s being defensive? Fuck off.”

Louis frowned. “What exactly happened between the two of you, Haz?”

Harry closed his eyes, trying to lean into the touch on his back, feeling his anger slowly seeping out of him. Once he’s calmed, he turned to Louis, burying his face into the crook of his neck, bending down a little. “Can I tell you later? I’m exhausted.”

Louis nodded, gently caressing his curls. “Sure, baby. Let’s go home, alright?”

Harry ended up taking one of Louis’ crutches, insisting that Louis lean on him by putting his arm around his shoulders, while he supported Louis’ weight with his free arm around his waist. It was awkward, but Harry desperately needed Louis’ warmth to calm his agitated senses. He never thought that he’d meet Ed again, and he somehow felt like another wave of storm was coming for them. He honestly didn’t know if he could survive another rift in their relationship, and he couldn’t bear losing Louis.

Later that night, Harry stared at Louis’ sleeping face, the bad feeling in his heart intensified, bringing tears to his eyes. He cuddled closer to Louis, clinging tightly onto him, listening to the steady beats of his heart that slowly lulled him to sleep, his last thought being the prayers he sent to the Gods, hoping that they’d be strong enough to withstand anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you feel? Did your emotions switch from having butterflies in your stomach like Louis' Spotify background for Defenceless to "oh no, please don't break them again"?
> 
> Let me know what you think! xx


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I'm sorry for the long wait! I wanted to post on the 21st, marking the 14th day after the previous update, but work made it hard :( but here it is, the 20th chapter!
> 
> As always, thank you so much for the kudos, bookmarks, comments, and hits! Only God knows how much I value all of you :) thank you loves, for reading up to this point!
> 
> In this chapter, a new character is introduced, and it all happened in their last year of high school. I know I said I'd probably do a time jump, but I forgot about this draft, and I somehow need to fit it in, so I'm sorry if it seems rushed :(
> 
> I hope you can still enjoy this! Stay safe everyone! xx

# Changes

### 

After the events on Christmas, Harry felt like time flew by so fast, and without any of them realising, it was February 1st, Harry’s birthday. He had completely forgotten about it, and with everyone acting as if it was just another day, he didn’t even bat an eye when people casually commented “Oh, it’s February”. He just hummed and did his own thing until Anne dragged him out of the house to a posh restaurant in town. He was whining and asking questions the whole ride there, frowning until he was met with a grand celebration inside the restaurant, eyes shimmering in happiness at the sight of the people he loved so much, all gathered in the far side of the restaurant. While he was drowned in hugs, a waiter brought a cake with a single, big candle in the middle, and it brought tears in his eyes when everyone, including Doris and Ernie, sang for him, chuckling wetly as he blew the candle and immediately cuddled up to Louis as they took their seats, eating merrily. As the area was doused with their hearty chatter, Louis gently pulled Harry closer in which he happily moved, sighing contently when he felt warm lips kissing his temple.

“Are you happy, birthday boy?”

Harry nodded, his curls tickling Louis’ cheeks. “Absolutely. I completely forgot that it’s my birthday today.” He poked Louis’ waist, glaring. “And you’ve developed the habit of not wishing my birthday, haven’t you?”

Louis laughed, running his hand in Harry’s hair. “I wanted to, babe, but Anne and Gemma told me not to.” He giggled when Harry rolled his eyes, noticing the corner of his lips tugging upwards. “Besides, I think Anne has a surprise for you.”

Harry pulled away abruptly, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked at Louis. “A surprise?”

Louis hummed. “Yeah, in the form of a person.” He said carefully, his eyes darting to Anne who just nodded. “Turn around, love.”

Harry slowly turned around, eyes immediately glued to Anne walking towards him with a man beside her. She had a bright smile on her face as they talked, and he was too focused on the unknown man that he didn’t notice Gemma already standing beside him, with Michal holding her hand firmly. He startled a bit when Gemma wrapped his hand around his wrist, glancing at Gemma who offered a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay, Harry.”

He genuinely didn’t know how to react to that, so he just nodded as Anne and the man approached them. Harry’s eyes instantly flicked to the arms that wrapped around each other’s waists before staring to the both of them.

“Harry, Gemma, this is Robin.” She softly introduced the man, the smile never leaving her lips. “And Robin, these are my children, Harry and Gemma.”

Robin had a charming and kind smile on his face, stepping forward to greet the siblings. “Hello Gemma, Harry. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet both of you.” He extended a hand in which Gemma took with a grin, but Harry was more hesitant as he shook his hand loosely. “I’ve heard so much about you both.”

Gemma giggled. “I hope she only told you the good things about us.”

Robin laughed. “That, and she also told me how much she loves you.” He smiled, turning to Harry. “Happy 18th birthday, Harry. It’s truly an honour to be invited to your birthday celebration.”

Harry only stared, his heart beating rapidly against his chest as he tried to silence his mind and formulate a response, but nothing came out until he felt a nudge to his right, causing him to turn and find a pair of concerned, cerulean eyes peering into his blank stare. Louis raised his eyebrow, subtly tilting his head to the direction of Anne and Robin, and then only he realised what’s happening. He snapped his neck, glancing towards his mum who wore a worried expression and cleared his throat.

“Oh, um… thank you. And um… thank you for making time.”

Robin smiled. “I’ll always make time for something important to Anne.” He turned and smiled lovingly at Anne. Gemma cooed, her eyes twinkling in happiness but Harry just stared blankly, his face expressionless. “By the way, who are these two lovely gentlemen?”

“Oh! Sorry!” Anne clamped a hand to her mouth, chuckling. “The one next to Gemma is Michal, her boyfriend.” Michal shook his hand with a nod, and then Anne turned to Louis. “And this sweetheart is Louis.” She smiled as Louis stepped forwards, shaking his hand with a smile. “Harry’s boyfriend.”

Robin lit up. “Oh, so these are the boys that you gushed about the other day.” He chuckled as Anne nodded eagerly. “She told me a lot about how both of you got amazing boyfriends and that she’s not that worried anymore.”

Louis and Michal beamed, quirking up their eyebrows at each other with proud smiles. “Of course she’s not worried, we’re taking such good care of her children, aren’t we, Anne?”

Anne rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure honey. But none of you are taking them until I say so, and if you break their hearts, you’ll regret it. Understand?”

Louis laughed, tilting his head backwards. “Oh, come on, Anne! There’s no way we’ll break these precious gems.” Gemma slapped his arm, glaring playfully. “We’ll take care of them, won’t we, Michal?”

Michal nodded. “Yeah, so Robin, it’s your turn to take care of our mum.”

“Of course.” He smiled, pulling Anne closer. “I’ll do anything to make her happy.”

“So…” Harry spoke up, his throat going dry. “You two are together?”

They both looked at each other before smiling and nodding. “Yeah. He’s a regular at the bakery, but I think you’ve never met him, Harry. And we’re still getting to know each other too.”

Harry tensed, and Louis instantly sensed the shift in the air from the way Harry’s body turned rigid, his grip on Louis’ hand tightening painfully. He glanced towards Harry, seeing that his face was flushed slightly, and his eyes were no longer shining. He quickly turned to Anne and Robin, smiling apologetically.

“Anne, Robin, it’s really a pleasure to meet you, but can you excuse us for a moment?” Louis smiled, albeit strained. “I need some fresh air.”

Anne looked concerned, but nodded nevertheless. “Okay, but don’t be out too long.”

Louis nodded, pulling Harry along with him. Harry dumbly followed, no words were spoken as Louis took him out of the restaurant, walking until they found a bench not far from the restaurant. Louis gently tugged Harry, gesturing for him to sit. As they sat in silence, Louis took in Harry’s state – trembling hands, clouded eyes, flushed face, and Louis was certain that his heart was palpitating as well. Harry was swallowing thickly, feeling his throat closing up and as his face went pale, Louis knew he’s having an attack so he quickly wrapped his arms around Harry, one hand cradling the back of his head while the other rubbed his back up and down.

“It’s okay, Harry. Breathe. I’m here.” Louis whispered softly, allowing the boy to cling to him like a lifeline. “You’re okay, you’re safe with me. Nothing’s going to hurt you, I promise.” He felt the wet, cold tears dripping on his shirt, his own body trembling slightly at how much Harry’s shaking. He kissed the top of his head. “Listen to my voice and heart, baby. I’m here.” He pressed another kiss. “Will always be here.”

Louis patiently waited as Harry slowly stopped shaking, his grip on his shirt tightening for a while before Harry loosened it, burying his face against Louis’ chest. After he deemed himself calm enough, he slowly pulled away, eyes glued to his lap as he sniffled. Louis ducked his head, trying to find Harry’s eyes, gently lifting his chin up so Harry could look at him. He softly cooed upon looking at his flushed face and puffy eyes, reaching up to wipe the stray tears. He grasped Harry’s hands.

“Are you feeling better?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. Thank you.” His eyes darted towards the stain on Louis’ shirt. “I’m sorry for that.”

Louis caressed his cheek. “It’s nothing, baby. You’re more important.” He sighed. “Do you want to go back in, love?”

Harry shook his head, biting his bottom lip. “I want to go home.”

“Okay.” Louis nodded. “Let’s go home.”

Louis took out his phone, texted Gemma that he’s taking Harry home, and then he texted Zayn. Within a minute, Zayn came out with Liam and Niall, walking towards them with concerned looks.

“What happened, Lou? Is everything alright?”

“Harry’s a bit overwhelmed, so he wants to go home.” Louis rubbed Harry’s knuckles. “Can we get a lift, Z?”

Zayn nodded. “Of course. Let’s go.”

Liam helped Louis up, walking beside him as a backup if by chance Harry was leaning into him too much and he lost balance. Niall stayed beside Harry, and they piled up in Zayn’s car. Harry kept his head on Louis’ shoulder, mindlessly playing with Louis’ fingers. When Zayn pulled up at Harry’s driveway, Louis dragged him out, carefully tucking him close.

“Do you want us to stay too, Harry?” Niall asked, his voice laced with worry.

Harry shook his head. “No, it’s okay. Lou’s here, but thank you lads.” He smiled weakly. “I really appreciate it.”

Liam nodded. “Don’t mention it H. Go get some rest, yeah?” He smiled. “And happy birthday, Harry.”

“Yeah, happy birthday, H.” Zayn grinned. “Rest well, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Happy birthday Harry!” Niall exclaimed as Zayn drove away, waving excitedly at them. Louis and Harry giggled, watching until the car disappeared and walked into the house. After they’re all freshened up, they settled on the bed, Harry laying with his head on Louis’ chest. He’s taller than Louis now, but he loved being the little spoon, loved feeling Louis’ warm arms around him. It’s his safest place, and a content smile found its way to his lips when Louis tangled their fingers together and brought their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing the back of his hand.

“I love you, baby.”

Butterflies erupted in his stomach when those three sacred words were spoken in hushed whispers, lost in the wind but meant for Harry to hear.

“I love you too.”

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

Harry woke up the next morning entirely tangled up with Louis, their limbs all over each other. His face was buried in Louis’ neck, and he smiled. He nuzzled closer, inhaling Louis’ sweet scent, clad in his vanilla body wash. He felt Louis shiver slightly, giggling when Louis hugged him tighter, his nose nuzzling deeper into Harry’s wild curls, a deep rumble resonating in his chest.

“Good morning, love.”

His low, raspy voice gave him shivers, and he looked up to see Louis smiling lazily, his eyes opening just a little bit. Harry loved intimate moments like this, in all tranquillity, a world only both of them existed, and he succumbed further into the warm embrace.

“Good morning, Lou.” He kissed his neck. “You’re beautiful.”

Louis laughed. “Thank you. And you, Hazza.” He cupped his cheeks, kissing his forehead. “You’re breath-taking.”

They giggled, and Harry whined when Louis released him, stretching his muscles from a good, deep sleep. Harry poked his arm when he got up, pouting adorably but Louis just breathed an airy laugh, shaking his head. He leaned against the headboard, patting the space beside him and Harry immediately cuddled up to him, purring when Louis massaged his scalp.

“Baby?”

“Hmm?”

Louis pursed his lips. “Can we talk about last night? And if possible, about Christmas as well?”

Harry stared blankly at the sheets. In the past year of dating Louis, he had learned that Louis was the kind of person who would want to address matters as quickly as possible, but still following Harry’s pace, so he had expected Louis to bring up that matter since he himself would try to avoid talking about it as long as he could. He let out a deep breath, nodding.

“I guess we should.” Harry sat up straighter, facing Louis. “I’m just… scared, I guess.”

Louis thumbed his knuckles. “Because of what happened all those years ago?”

Harry nodded. “It left such a huge impact on me, with the recurring nightmares splitting my wounds open every time. I don’t know if I’m truly healing, Lou.” He shook his head. “I mean… I know I can’t just judge Robin, since I literally just met him yesterday, but… I’m scared.” He looked up, his eyes shiny with tears. “I’m scared that he’s just being nice to win my mum, and then he…” He clenched his eyes shut. “What if he’s just the _same_?”

Louis sighed, grasping his hands firmly. “But, babe, what if, you give him and yourself a _chance_?” When Harry hesitated, Louis brushed his knuckles. “I know it’s hard. I was this way when Dan came into my life too. I was sceptical at first, and I rebelled.” Louis laughed airily. “I think the only thing that made me wanted to try was Mum, because I saw the disappointment and sadness in her eyes whenever I deliberately picked a fight with him. And one day, Mum cried, apologising to Dan for my behaviour, but Dan just reassured her that he’d try harder since he really wanted to take care of all of us, and he’s a man of his words.” He smiled, staring right into Harry’s eyes. “Not everything has to be in black and white, Haz. Sometimes, you need to try for someone else’s sake, and in your case, maybe you should try, for your mum.”

Harry looked up to the ceiling, closing his eyes and sighed. Louis’ words weighed heavily in his mind, remembering the trauma they both faced, albeit differently. He recalled the celebration from last night, how happy his mum was when she introduced Robin to them. He saw the genuine affection and care from Robin’s eyes and touches, and his smiles didn’t reek of vile intentions. He groaned.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

Louis chuckled. “I’m just saying, babe. Do it for your Mum, alright?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. I’ll try.” He glared at Louis. “And don’t you dare leave me.”

“Never.” He held up his pinky, entangling their fingers together. “Promise.”

And he finally smiled that cute smile, sending butterflies in his stomach when Harry rested his forehead in the crook of his neck. He smiled, caressing the curls that were getting longer when he remembered something.

“Haz, I forgot to tell you something.”

Harry pulled back, frowning. “What?”

“When I texted Gemma last night, she said that Robin’s spending the night here.” Louis carefully gauged Harry’s reaction, and as expected, he tensed. Louis immediately rubbed his arm and hand soothingly, pressing kisses to his knuckles, smiling slightly when Harry relaxed. “Let’s go downstairs and greet him, yeah?”

Harry simply nodded, and padded to the bathroom. Louis came in next, and they strutted downstairs hand-in-hand. They heard voices in the dining room, and Harry instantly recognised the foreign voice that only belonged to Robin, telling jokes to everyone and filled the air with laughter. He instinctively gripped Louis’ hand tighter, making him wince slightly, and he abruptly loosened his grip, looking apologetic.

“Sorry, Lou.” His eyes were frantic. “I’m scared.”

Louis smiled, firmly holding his hand and thumbed his knuckles. “It’s okay, I’m here.”

That’s all the reassurance Harry needed as a smile tugged his lips, easing his nerves. Louis walked in front of him, opening the door with a wide smile.

“Good morning!”

The occupants in the room all whipped their heads around, smiling brightly as the duo entered the room.

“Good morning, sweethearts.” Anne greeted them both, Robin close to her side. “Did you get a good night sleep?”

Louis nodded. “Of course, I have this precious boy beside me after all.” He pulled Harry closer, tucking him under his arm, beaming as Harry blushed. Gemma gagged, but Louis just stuck his tongue out, turning to face them all. “Did you come home late last night?”

Michal shook his head. “Not really. After you texted Gemma, we stayed a while until the little ones were sleepy and we left after Dan.”

“That aside, Harry.” Harry looked at Robin, who had a gentle smile on his lips. “Was the celebration alright?”

“Uh… it’s great.” Harry swallowed thickly, his own body trembling slightly. “I mean, uh… it’s different from the usual things we did, but uh… it was great.”

He watched each face carefully, saw the grateful smile Anne sent his way. He smiled slightly, and his eyes widened when Robin approached him. All of a sudden, he was engulfed in an unfamiliar hug, one that had him backed away in a swift motion, not realising how harsh he pulled his body. His breathing was erratic, his eyes wide in panic as he stared into Robin’s shocked eyes.

“Harry?”

He couldn’t hear anything; the sound of his own rapid heartbeat deafening the surroundings, and the only thing he saw was the silhouette of the devil smirking down at him, laughing maniacally at how much of a coward he was, stepping closer to him in slow, tentative steps. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe, and he was on the verge of falling deep into the black hole when he felt a pair of warm arms enveloping him.

“I’m here, Hazza.”

It took him a few moments to finally gather himself and found the light amidst the darkness, and when he stepped into it, he was brought back to reality; a strong pair of arms cocooning him, and he registered the familiar scent from where his face was buried deep, bringing him _home_. He clutched the fabric of Louis’ shirt, closing his eyes at the soft caress of his curls.

“Are you back yet, love?”

Harry smiled softly, nodding against his chest. He pulled away slowly, staring deep into the pool of ocean eyes, drowning but somehow anchoring him at the same time before he casted his eyes to the worried faces, guilt sinking in deep and he stared at his feet, fidgeting slightly.

“’M sorry.”

Anne wrapped him in a warm hug, gently rubbing his back. “It’s okay, honey. I know.” She released him, smiling. “Do you think you’re feeling up for it for breakfast, or do you need a moment?”

He glanced sideways to Louis, seeing him nod encouragingly. He cleared his throat, looking at his mum. “I-I think… I’m having breakfast.”

Anne beamed. “Let’s eat then!”

Anne retreated, taking Robin by the arm, ignoring his guilty expression. Gemma and Michal patted his arm, smiling reassuringly and almost immediately, Louis came to his side, interlacing their fingers together. He smiled softly, tugging him to enter the dining room and Harry sat close to Louis, slowly relaxing as the conversation flew smoothly at the table, and soon enough, Harry was smiling and giggling at whatever’s being talked about, his hand secured within Louis’ firm grasp. As Gemma and Michal chatted with Anne and Robin, Louis leaned closer to Harry, whispering.

“You did great.” He pecked his cheek, backing away slowly. “I’m proud of you.”

He turned to look at Louis, a smile tugging his lips. “Thank you.”

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

Louis thought the incident from that day was the only occurrence, because he saw some improvement on Harry’s behaviour towards Robin. He still kept his distance, but he was at least talking to Robin, albeit awkwardly. He didn’t stay over as much, since he’s still recovering so he stayed at home, being pampered by his siblings when he received a phone call from Anne.

“Hi Anne.”

“ _Lou, come over, quick!”_

Louis frowned. “Why? What happened?”

_“Harry.”_ Anne sounded frantic. _“Just come, please.”_

Louis apologetically looked at his siblings, heart sinking when Doris and Ernie almost cried, so he promised them that he would play later and left them with Dan. He called Zayn, and together with the lads, they went to Harry’s house. Louis, in his condition, walked as fast as he possibly could to the disgruntled Anne who paced back and forth in front of the door.

“Anne.”

Anne whipped her head around, relief washing over her, taking Louis in her arms. “Lou, thank God you’re here.” She pulled him in while gesturing the others to come in and tilted her chin sideways. “Harry won’t come out of his room, and I had to ask Robin to go home when he burst.”

Louis widened his eyes in shock, feet already moving towards the direction of Harry’s room. He turned the handle. _Locked_.

“Go away!”

Louis paused, and then he gently knocked, pressing his ear to the door. “Haz, open the door please. It’s me, Lou.”

He heard sniffles from inside, before a small voice squeaked out, muffled from the thick, wooden door. “Lou?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

When he heard shuffling sounds, he backed away from the door, waiting until the handle _clicked_ , and the door slowly opened to reveal Harry, still sniffling softly with his eyes all red and puffy with dried tearstain trailing down his cheeks, a clear indicator that he was crying. From how dishevelled he looked, Louis knew that he had an attack, and he went through it _alone_. His eyes watered, his lips formed a tight line as he opened his arms.

“I’m here, baby.”

Harry’s bottom lip quivered as fresh tears welled up, cascading like waterfall. He dragged his feet slowly, bringing his trembling hands around Louis’ neck and wrapped him in a desperate hug, silently crying as Louis brought one of his hands up, cradling the back of his head while the other rubbed his back in slow, soothing movements. Louis pressed soft kisses to his temple, and only then he finally relaxed, his body going lax in Louis’ firm hold. It always amazed Harry, how their height differed ever so slightly, with Harry having broad shoulders while Louis’ frame was smaller, but they _fit_ perfectly – like two puzzle pieces which finally found their match.

“Let’s go in, alright?”

Louis whispered into Harry’s ear, smiling when Harry nodded. He lowered his arms, but Harry kept his hold around his neck, tightening it when Louis tried to pry him away, shaking his head slightly. Louis sighed and chuckled, stepping forwards slowly and carefully with a big lad latched onto him until they reached Harry’s bed. Louis managed to coax Harry to let go, gently tucking him in as he laid on his side, facing Louis. He was holding one of Louis’ hand close to his heart, his eyes fluttering shut when Louis used his free hand to caress his curls and cheek, and soon, he fell asleep. He waited until Harry’s hold loosened before wriggling his hand away, tip-toeing to the door and sneaked another glance before shutting it. He padded downstairs, plopping himself on the couch, sighing.

“He’s asleep.”

Four figures heaved sighs of relief, silence befell between them. After a while, Anne broke it. “It was an accident. I had a few friends over to introduce them to Robin, and Harry was in his room.” She looked guilty, and Louis went over to comfort her. “He came downstairs, bumping into Robin at the door when my friend’s children ran around and accidentally pushed Robin, causing him to pin Harry against the wall.”

“And Harry threw a fit?” Zayn asked, his tone cautious.

Anne nodded. “He froze before he shouted at Robin, shoving him and when Robin tried to calm him, he struggled violently whilst crying, yelling ‘no!’ multiple times before he dashed out from the kitchen and locked himself in his room. He wouldn’t come out, and he hasn’t eaten since morning.” Anne hid her face in her hands. “He was doing so much better, so I thought he was okay with it.”

“He was traumatised badly, Anne. He can’t just go past that in a blink of an eye.” Louis said gently. “He was doing better because Robin hasn’t _touched_ him; only smiles, greetings, and handshakes. That, he could handle.”

“So…” Niall chirped in, raising one of his eyebrows. “He associated touch with trauma?”

“But if that’s the case, then why is he okay with us?” Liam furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “He _loves_ being hugged.”

Zayn sighed. “We’re his _friends_ , Li. He feels safe with us, especially with Lou.” He darted his eyes to Louis, finding him nodding. “What he lacked was a _father_ , and something must had happened in his past that caused him to be so tense around Robin, who is dating Anne, and eventually, he’ll be his stepfather.” He looked at them in the eye. “What I can conclude is, he was brutally violated by his own father and he sees Robin as an exact replica of him, even though Robin has no such intentions towards him.”

All eyes shot towards Anne, utterly shocked by the revelation. Niall opened his mouth to speak, but Louis cut in. “No questions, please. When Harry’s ready, he’ll tell you. Sorry, Ni.” Louis looked apologetic, and Niall nodded in understanding. Louis turned to Anne. “You said Harry hasn’t eaten?”

Anne nodded, wiping her eyes. “Yeah.”

“I’ll bring the food to him.” Louis got up, wincing a bit but quickly smiled. “I don’t think he’ll want to go downstairs in his state.”

“Thank you, Lou.”

Louis smiled, going to the kitchen and brought some food upstairs. He was careful in his steps, not wanting to risk tearing his healing ACL again. He knocked gently, pressing his ear to the door but heard nothing so he opened the door slowly, smiling when he saw that Harry was still sleeping. He closed the door and walked into the room, putting the tray on the nightstand. He sat beside Harry and pressed kisses all over his face until he squirmed and swatted his face away, cocooning himself under the blanket. Louis chuckled.

“Come on, babe. Wake up.”

Harry whined. “No. Don’t want to.”

Louis patted his head, leaning in. “There’s food.”

In that instant, Harry’s stomach grumbled, and Louis laughed. Harry groaned, slowly getting up, glaring at Louis who just laughed harder, the beautiful sound booming across the room. Louis saw the ghost of a smile on his lips, and he grinned when Harry just opened his mouth, wordlessly asking to be fed. Louis fed him, and he stifled a laugh when Harry finished his food in no time and spread out his arms, in which Louis gladly accepted and let him bury his face in his neck. Silence filled the air, as Louis allowed Harry to recharge in his arms, feeling him slowly relax. He breathed in Harry’s sweet vanilla scent, succumbing himself further into the thick blanket of serenity before Harry shifted ever so slightly within his grasp, looking up with droopy eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

Louis tilted his head. “What for?”

Harry sighed. “For making you come here.” He chuckled dryly. “I feel like a burden, always needing you to comfort me. As if I’m a baby.” He scoffed. “I’m 18, for fuck’s sake. I should be able to get ahold of my _own_ emotions.”

Louis caressed his cheek gently. “I like comforting you, though. And you’re my baby, no matter what people said.” He laughed when Harry rolled his eyes. “But Haz, doesn’t matter how old you get, emotions are hard to control, especially in your case, and that’s okay.”

“But it’s not fair for the people around me, Lou.” Harry argued. “I realised that I was doing so much better, and I could at least talk to Robin in a distance, but when I was pinned, I just…” He trailed off, sighing in defeat. “Everything came rushing back, and the pure shock in Robin’s eyes…” He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can truly forget and move forward.”

Louis tucked his index finger and thumb under Harry’s chin, lifting his head up so their eyes could meet. “No one asked you to _forget_ , Haz. We all know it’s never going to be easy, but the key to it is to not _rush_ the process.” He smiled when Harry knitted his eyebrows. “You always think about the past, even when you’re living in the moment. And you unconsciously pressured yourself to quickly forget what happened in the past which only prompted it to re-surface more frequently.” He kissed the tip of Harry’s nose, making him giggle. “It’s okay, Hazza. You have all the time you need to heal, and we could see just how much you’re trying while battling the struggles lurking deep within you.” He pressed another kiss on his forehead. “Baby steps, love. I’ll be here, promise.”

Harry stared into the pool of cerulean eyes that held reassurance and faith, flowing deep in the sea of unwavering love and patience, anchoring him in place amidst the violent waves threatening to swallow him whole. He wasn’t sure how he got lucky, having Louis who had proven from time to time again how much he meant to him, and no words or actions could perfectly describe his gratitude and affection towards the boy in front of him, so he captured him in a tight hug, burrowing his face into Louis’ neck.

“I love you.” Harry tightened his grip. “So much.”

Louis kissed his temple. “I love you too.” He nuzzled his nose into Harry’s hair. “More than you could ever imagine.”

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

Months later, Harry was warming up more with Robin as he learned that Harry was not accustomed to affectionate gestures from a stranger like him, so he avoided being close to Harry and he was happy with the outcome. He could get Harry to talk to him about his most fond memories of Anne and Gemma, and he noticed how his face lit up whenever he was allowed to talk about his favourite people freely, chuckling at the different facial expressions shown. One story in particular sent Robin into a fit of laughter, wiping the tears at the corner of his eyes as Harry’s cheeks sported a faint blush.

“So, you thought Gemma was a drug dealer?”

“I was 5! And she often brought some small packages into her room, swatting my hand away whenever I tried to grab them.” Harry pouted, the blush still covering his milky skin. “I told Mum about it, and she just responded with “Harry, she’s 9!” like I didn’t know about it.”

Robin laughed harder. “What happened then?”

He shrugged. “Turns out those were some substance for her Science project, something about mixing powders to see reactions.” He rolled his eyes, recalling Gemma’s snickers. “She wouldn’t let me hear the end of it for a week, mind you.”

Robin bent over his stomach, laughing. It made Harry laugh too, but when Robin reached out to pat his head, he immediately backed away, curling into the chair with his hands shielding his body, face in his knees.

“N-No… p-please…” He sobbed. “I-I’ll b-be g-good… p-please…”

Robin widened his eyes, and slowly retracted his hand. He got up, eyes filled with pity and concern as he stepped closer to Harry, his own heart sinking further in his stomach when Harry curled inwards, sobbing and pleading in broken whispers. He knelt on the floor, looking up at the poor boy who looked so small and vulnerable despite his broad build.

“I’m not going to hurt you, son.” Robin’s voice is soft, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t know what happened, but I’m not that person, Harry. I promise I care for you and Gemma like my own children, and I love Anne dearly. I never hurt the people I love.”

Harry lifted his head slowly, looking at Robin through glossy eyes, his sobs had quietened into sniffles. His emerald eyes pierced into Robin’s kind ones, his earnest expression showing the truth behind his words and Harry found himself yearning for a father’s affection; the _true_ gesture. He climbed down the chair and scooted closer to Robin, trying to communicate through his eyes and bless his soul, Robin understood instantly. He smiled wide, gently beckoning Harry over and wrapped comforting arms around a trembling Harry, waiting until he was finally relaxed and rubbed his back soothingly, his other hand cradling the back of Harry’s head.

“I don’t know your story, Harry, but I promise you, I’m not like the monster in your nightmares.” He tightened his grip just a bit. “You, Gemma and Anne are just too precious to me, even though I’ve just met you and Gemma for a few months.” He pulled back, gripping Harry’s biceps gently. “I believe Anne when she said you’re a wonderful son, Harry. The little ray of sunshine that never fails to enlighten everyone around him, no matter how dark it is.”

Tears pooled Harry’s eyes, a smile tugging his lips as he saw the truth reflected in the clear, brown eyes. He might not be able to trust Robin fully, but he truly believed, from the bottom of his heart, that this time, he would take the first of the many steps forward. _Baby steps_ , as Louis said.

  
“Thank you.”

Robin grinned, ruffling Harry’s mess of curls and laughed when he frowned. They sat on the floor, exchanging stories from Harry’s fond memories of his childhood and Harry was fascinated to see how enthusiastic Robin was when he talked about Anne. He had stars in his eyes, and he was reminded of himself whenever he saw Louis – twinkling heart eyes, pure love radiating from the man’s body language and soft eyes, and Harry couldn’t help but smile genuinely, missing the quiet sniffles and proud smile from Anne who was watching from the doorway. Anne had a hand on her chest, getting emotional at the sight of her son finally warming up to Robin.

“I’m so proud of you, darling.” Anne whispered to herself, wiping her tears away with a smile. “So very proud.”

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

“Have you applied for college, lads?”

It was a new year, and it was their last year in high school. They walked through the school compounds, soft breeze blowing past them, content smiles on their faces. They stopped at the yard, throwing their bags on the ground and plopped down, lying in a circle, heads touching. Five pairs of eyes looked up to the sky, endeared by the mesmerising sun shining brightly, breaching the puffy clouds that moved past it. The sky was a clear blue, reminding Harry of someone with crystal blue eyes, and he found himself getting lost in that shade of blue.

“I have.” Zayn shrugged. “Mum’s been nagging about it, since we’re leaving in a few months.”

Liam hummed. “We’re really leaving, huh?”

Silence filled the air, each lad recalling the memories they made for the past 3 years. Harry felt like it was just yesterday that he met them one by one, starting from Niall, the cheerful Irish lad, to Liam, the one with the most rational mind, to Zayn, the amazing artist and observant friend, and lastly, Louis, the empathetic and selfless boy, and _his boyfriend_. Once again, he was struck with the realisation of how lucky he was, to find four great lads that quickly became his best friends, and his support system. And what’s more, he found someone that loved him for who he was, despite his insecurities and trauma, someone that always kept his words. As if sensing his thoughts, a warm hand attached itself to Harry’s hand, holding it firmly and squeezing it. Harry smiled, butterflies erupting in his stomach as he gripped the hand tighter.

“Can’t believe 3 years had passed.” Louis chuckled. “So many things had happened, but we survived, didn’t we?”

Niall grinned, his deep blue eyes glued to the sky. “We did, even though Liam was being a little shit for a while.”

Liam groaned. “C’mon, I apologised-”

“Little shit.” Zayn deadpanned. “The same goes to you too, Lou.”

Louis lifted his head, narrowing his eyes towards Zayn. “As if you’re not, Z.”

“Aren’t we all a little bit of that ‘little shit’, though?”

They all turned to look at Harry, staring at him intensely. Harry looked at each of them carefully, before smirking. “What? Each of us has that ‘little shit’ moments. Like, Li was being a little shit during football-” Liam frowned, but Harry ignored him. “Niall was a little shit every time we played his games-”

“Hold up.” Niall raised his hand, a hint of amusement in his voice. “That was my _little shit_ moment?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. And Z,” He turned to Zayn, giggling when he saw the ‘don’t you dare’ look on his face. “You’re a little shit when you’re mad, and it’s scary.”

Zayn shrugged. “Not that I get mad all the time.”

“Uh-huh, but you’re still a little shit.” Harry continued, unbothered, making the other lads laugh while Zayn smirked. “And you, Lou, God, don’t let me start.”

Louis furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Harry clicked his tongue, shaking his head with a sigh. “You’re the king of all the little shits, Lou.” He glanced over to Louis, who was failing miserably to hide his smile. “You deliberately flirted with Z right in front of my eyes.” He fake-sniffled, wiping the imaginary tear away. “How did you think I feel?”

The lads laughed, but Louis smirked. “I remember, _very clearly_ , what happened _after_ that.”

Harry blushed bright red, immediately coughing. The boys all looked at both of them back and forth, confusion painted across their faces. “Wait, what happened?”

Louis hummed, a smug smile on his face. “Someone took his claim, didn’t he, Hazza?”

It took a few seconds for the boys to comprehend the innuendo and burst out laughing, ignoring the weird looks casted towards them from the students passing by the area. Harry was blushing intensely, beet red from head to toe, glaring at Louis who just laughed, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek, bringing a smile to his face.

“Don’t worry, I _loved_ it.”

Harry pushed him away, hiding his face in his hands while Louis cackled along with the boys. He saw that Harry was still hiding away, so he gently caressed his curls, lighting up when Harry peeked through his fingers, and he grabbed Harry’s hands, moving them away from his blushing face, smiling warmly at him. He stared into the clear forest, emerald orbs full of affection and trust, losing himself in the magnetic green luring him in, providing warmth and the feeling of _home_.

“I love you.”

Bright smile adorned Harry’s handsome face, his gorgeous eyes twinkling with delight, dimples popping on both sides of his cheeks. In that intimate moment, the world around them stopped, and it was just them, in a bubble of their own.

“I love you too.”

As Louis leaned in to capture Harry’s plump lips, Niall cleared his throat, causing the tranquil moment to be broken and both boys snapped their heads to look at Niall’s direction.

“Come on, lads. We’re in public.” Niall reminded, but his smile betrayed him. “Have some manner, will you?”

Louis smirked. “Who the fuck cares?”

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was trapped by a pair of warm lips attaching themselves on his own. His eyes widened, but immediately melted as he felt the familiar taste and as his eyes fluttered shut, Louis pulled away slowly. He chased after his lips, but Louis only laughed and gave another peck, making the other lads groaned and gagged. They’re well aware about people watching, but like Louis said, who the fuck cared?

“You are gross.” Niall cackled. “Can’t even be decent in school.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “It’s just _kissing_ , Ni. Not like we’re doing a full make out session.” Louis then smirked. “Or do you want to see?”

Niall’s grin dropped immediately, vigorously shaking his head in disgust. “Ew, no, please. Anything but that.”

Louis cackled, gathering Harry in his arms and hugging him, keeping him safe and warm. Harry went pliant in Louis’ grip, comfortably leaning against his chest as they all chatted away. He watched each of them, etching their expressions in his mind as the unsettling feeling faded away, knowing that no matter where they ended up going, the connection they had would always be strong.

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

The five best friends stayed over at Harry’s house, celebrating the end of their senior year along with Gemma, Michal, Robin and Anne, merrily talking with each other, reminiscing all the dumb things they did, and the fights they were involved in. Anne scolded Louis and Liam, and the two of them looked down with playful smiles coating their lips, secretly glancing at each other while Robin laughed and reassured her that boys would always be boys.

“Fighting is inevitable, Anne. Besides, Louis always fights for Harry, don’t you, Louis?”

Louis puffed his chest out. “Of course. I wouldn’t pick unnecessary fights with someone if Harry wasn’t involved, Anne.”

“So, we’re not important?” Niall raised his eyebrow. “You won’t fight for us?”

Louis swung an arm around Harry’s waist, the shoulders deemed impossible since Harry had grown taller, but not tall enough for him to tip-toe whenever they wanted to kiss. “I’d sell my soul for all of you.”

Niall cooed, barrelling towards Louis and engulfed him in a tight hug, making him choke. Soon, Zayn and Liam joined in, effectively trapping him while he cursed and jabbed each of them, but they didn’t budge so he just sighed and tried his best to wrap his arms around three of his best friends, eyes darting towards Harry. Harry giggled, leaving them to join Gemma and Michal on the couch.

“So, Harry.” Michal put his glass down. “When’s the result for your college application?”

Harry tilted his head upwards. “August, I think.”

Gemma looked at him, eyes wide in eagerness. “Please tell me you still want to go to London.”

Harry laughed. “It’s my first choice, Gems, and I hope I’ll get the offer.” His eyes flickered towards the lads who were talking with Robin. “We all put London as one of our choices, but we’ll see.”

Michal hummed. “Yeah, it’s great to have multiple choices, and I think you have a chance to be accepted, Harry.” He linked hands with Gemma. “We’ll be there, so just give us a call if you need anything.”

Harry nodded, smiling. “Of course. I’ll be annoying Gemma the whole time.”

“God I hope Lou gets to be in London too.” Gemma groaned. “I don’t want to deal with an irritating little brother alone.”

Harry’s smile faltered, his eyes lingering longer at Louis. Louis caught his eyes, quirking up his eyebrow, silently asking if something’s wrong, and Harry found himself tearing up, because Louis could _always_ detect his exact feelings. He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes to stop the tears from falling. He stood up, holding his glass, gesturing to the kitchen to Gemma and Michal.

“I’m going to get some drink.”

As he reached the counter, he put down his glass, gripping the counter with his head hung low, and within seconds, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him from behind, and he didn’t even need to glance over to know who it was, because the comfort only belonged to _Louis_.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Harry closed his eyes, feeling his heart sinking again at the soft tone of Louis’ voice. Tears welled up instantly, and his body was shaking slightly. Louis released him, worry filling his heart as he moved beside Harry, leaving an arm around his waist as he tried to get a good look at his face.

“Hazza, talk to me baby.” He grasped Harry’s knuckles which were turning white from how hard he’s gripping the counter, hoping that it would somehow ground him. “Haz, please.”

Harry shook his head, and Louis decided to wedge himself between Harry and the counter. He was thankful that he’s small enough to fit the tight space, and it took Harry by surprise. He took a step back but Louis cupped his face, staring right into the glossy green.

“I’m here, love. Talk to me.” He thumbed Harry’s cheeks. “Please.”

He sniffled, grabbing Louis’ hands and bringing them in between their bodies. “I was just thinking.”

“About?”

Harry fiddled with Louis’ hands, eyes fixed to their intertwined fingers. “We’re going to college soon, and it just hit me.” He dared to glance at Louis’ clear, cerulean eyes, finding those calming orbs staring back at him. “We might not be accepted in the same college, Lou.”

Louis hummed, nodding. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“We might be separated, and for 4 years.”

“Uh-huh, that’s plain as day.”

Harry frowned. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

Louis tilted his head upwards. “Not really.”

Harry released his grip on Louis’ hands, stepping back. “Aren’t you at least a little bit _worried_ , Lou?”

“Why should I?”

Harry threw his arms in the air, exasperated. “Don’t you get it? We’re going into different colleges, Lou! We might even be separated into different cities, and we might need a few hours of travelling just to see each other!” Harry whisper-shouted, his own frustration spiking up upon seeing Louis’ calm face. “Things might happen, Lou. Things that’ll test our relationship to its limits-”

Louis’ gaze hardened. “Are you giving me a reason to lose trust in you, Harry?”

Harry froze, the colour draining from his face. “N-No, t-that’s not what I meant-”

Louis straightened his back. “Then what? You’re telling me all these things about long-distance relationship, about challenges that we’ll face when we’re apart, and for what?” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you not believe that we’ll make it? We’ve been together for 2 years and a half, do you really think that distance will break us, Harry?”

“All I’m saying is we’ll never know what’ll happen in the future, Lou.” Harry sighed, his eyes watery. “Long-distance relationship is hard. I…” He trailed off, his heart clenching. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough for that.”

Louis grabbed his hands, bringing them up against his chest, determined eyes staring into Harry’s vulnerable ones. “Try with me, Harry. I want this, I want _us_.” His voice was gentle, but desperation laced underneath the tone. “I promise you and myself that I will never let you go, and I will fight for us even if the whole world is against us. And the reason I’m not worried? I _trust_ you, love. I always have. So please, please try for _us_.” Louis’ voice cracked. “ _Please_.”

Harry looked at the now glassy eyes, roaming all over Louis’ face. Louis was holding back his tears, his bottom lip quivering slightly as his hopeful eyes stared into Harry’s, silently begging Harry to stay with him, to fight with him. Memories came flooding in, filling Harry’s mind with _Louis_ – his beautiful eyes, his laugh and smile, his gorgeous features, and his gentle touches; all of him. And right then, he was struck with the realisation that he could never let the precious creature in front of him go, because if he let Louis go, his whole world would return to black and white, when his life now was painted with splashes of bright and vibrant colours, all in courtesy of Louis. He let his tears fall, cascading like waterfall as he wrapped his arms around Louis’ neck, squishing his face in between his elbow and Louis’ neck.

“I’m sorry.” His sniffles muffled from the angle. “I want us too. I want to be with you.” He tightened his hold. “Please hold me tight, Lou. I promise I’ll try.” His sniffles turn into broken sobs. “J-Just p-please promise n-not to leave…”

Louis closed his eyes, hugging Harry tightly like a coil to the spring, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. “I promise, as long as you won’t let go.”

Harry nodded, words failing him as more tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He held on tight, afraid that Louis would float away the moment he released his grip, though the gentle caress at the back of his head and the warm hand rubbing his back meant otherwise. His eyes fluttered shut, and he promised himself that _he would never let go_.

⸙⸙⸙⸙⸙

On the day of the results, Harry was ecstatic to know that he was accepted to University College London, under Institute of Education, as it was his dream to become a teacher, preferably an elementary school teacher. Upon receiving the news, Anne got so emotional about the fact that Harry’s leaving soon, but she was also glad that he was offered a place at the university. That night, they spent the night cuddling with each other while on FaceTime with Gemma and Michal, and they were so proud of Harry.

“I can’t wait for you to come here, H.” Gemma said, her eyes shiny with tears, but her smile was so wide it split her face into two. “We’ll visit all of London together.”

Harry perked up. “Yeah, I’d love that! Been a while since I went there, so I’m excited to be back!”

Gemma laughed. “Sure you do, baby brother.” She widened her eyes in realisation. “Oh! How about everyone else, H? Do you know where they’re going?”

Harry’s eyes bulged out of his sockets. “Fuck!” He winced when Anne slapped his arm, glaring at the use of language, and he sheepishly smiled while Gemma cackled. “I mean, no. I forgot to ask them. I’ll do so soon.”

Gemma nodded. “Be sure to tell me! And Harry,” Gemma smiled genuinely, eyes twinkling with pride and happiness. “Congratulations. You deserve it.”

Harry grinned. “Thanks, Gems.”

They talked more, and later that night, he immediately opened their group chat, giggling when Niall had already asked everyone about their acceptance.

**Nialler: Hey lads! I’ll cut the chase… mind telling everyone where's everyone going?**

**Harry: Don’t be confusing, Ni…**

**Z: He’s not Niall if he’s not confusing**

**Nialler: Z! I’m hurt! But really, where are we all going?**

**Leeyum: Where are _you_ going, Ni?**

**Nialler: UCL ;) going to London, lads!**

Harry’s eyes widened, and he quickly typed a reply.

**Harry: Me too! Ni, we’re going to London together!**

**Nialler: Whoa really?! God yes I won’t be lonely!**

**Nialler: Let’s go together, H!**

**Harry: For sure!**

**Z: So… are we going in groups?**

**Nialler: What, are we all going to the same place?**

**Leeyum: It’d be such an amazing coincidence, but sadly, no.**

**Leeyum: We’re going to Edinburgh instead**

**Harry: That’s amazing! Congrats, Li and Z!**

**Harry: But wait, where’s Lou?**

**Nialler: Yeah, he’s oddly quiet…**

**Z: At home, probably. You know his siblings, always making a big fuss of everything**

**Z: They’re most likely hogging Lou all day**

Harry frowned. _There’s no way Louis didn’t have time to respond, even for a minute._ He checked their chats, and true enough, Louis was the only one who didn’t read them. He wasn’t online, and Harry felt his heart sinking deeper. His worries were growing, and he couldn’t wash away the unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach ever since their conversation in the kitchen even if he wanted to.

**Harry: Do you know where’s he going?**

**Leeyum: Sorry, H. We tried texting him, but he didn’t even read our texts**

**Z: Nor did he return any of our calls**

**Nialler: Hmm… that’s weird.**

**Nialler: Lou isn’t the type of person to just vanish.**

**Harry: Let me try.**

Harry typed Louis’ number, one that he had memorised all those years ago and pressed call. It rang and rang, but no one picked up. Harry tried multiple times, only to receive the robotic voicemail at the end. Worried, he texted Louis, and after a while, it was still unread.

**Harry: I couldn’t reach him either…**

**Z: Now _that’s_ weird.**

**Z: But I know he’s fine. He has to.**

**Leeyum: Anyway, congrats, lads! We might be separated, but we’ll stay friends for life, alright?**

**Z: We aren’t friends but yeah**

**Leeyum: I’m ditching you, babe.**

**Nialler: Good for you, Z :D**

**Nialler: But yeah, thanks and congrats too!**

**Harry: Thanks lads! And congrats!**

**Harry: See you soon!** **J**

A string of ‘goodbye’ and ‘see you!’ made their ways to the chat room, and Harry smiled contently. He would have Niall along, and it’s reassuring to have a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting. And Niall would finally be reunited with Olivia, after being apart for two years. He smirked as the thought of teasing Niall relentlessly crossed his mind, and he’s sure that Niall would use every opportunity to gush about Olivia anyway so why not?

His smile dropped instantly when he thought of Louis and his disappearance. He’s worried, and no matter how many times he checked his phone, Louis still hadn’t read his texts. He glanced at the clock on the wall. _12.30am_. The girls, especially Doris and Ernie would have slept by now, so where was Louis?

**Harry: Lou, where are you?**

**Harry: Please reply or call me back, Lou...**

**Harry: I’m worried…**

He waited, but his eyelids were getting heavier each minute so he got up and washed his face with cold water, attempting to stay awake in case Louis replied to his messages. He draped the duvet over his shoulder as he laid on the bed, staring at his phone, silently praying that Louis would appear. He didn’t know when did he fall asleep, but the blaring sound of his phone woke him up abruptly, and at the sight of Louis’ name on the screen, he bolted up and slid right without hesitation.

“Lou! Oh God, where were you?”

Harry could hear his breathing faintly through the phone, but the thick silence in the background made his skin all tingly as his nerves spiked. He was about to ask once more when Louis sighed, and Harry couldn’t be more relieved.

_“Home.”_ A pause. Another sigh. _“I’m sorry. Just needed a breather, I guess.”_

Harry sat up straighter, his indifferent tone sounded too _calm_ , and it scared him. “Lou, please, talk to me?”

Louis let out another sigh. _“I’m just… I thought I’ll be fine, you know? I was the one who reassured you, for fuck’s sake.”_ He chuckled, but Harry could hear the sadness underneath it. _“I had a feeling, from the start of this year, that one day, we’ll be separated, whether for studies or work, so I prepared myself, I told myself I’ll be strong for you when it happens.”_ Harry heard him taking a deep breath, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. _“I just didn’t anticipate it to be this intense.”_

Tears welled up in Harry’s eyes. “Where?”

Another long pause. Harry almost thought that Louis had hung up if not for the indistinct rustling of what he assumed to be the duvet. He heard soft taps of feet, and then it stopped. _“Edinburgh.”_

Harry’s heart stopped beating. _Edinburgh?_ “That’s… your last option…”

_“Yeah.”_ A deep breath. _“They decided to put me in a university 5 hours away from you.”_ He let out an airy laugh. _“How cool is that?”_

Harry shook his head, tears blurring his vision. “Lou, please, I want to see you… I can’t do this on the phone…”

_“I’m here, babe. Open the door for me?”_

Harry’s eyebrows raised to his hairline. “No way…”

Louis chuckled. _“Yeah babe, I’m at your door. Please let me in.”_

Harry scrambled out from his bed, throwing his duvet away and sprinted downstairs while trying his best to keep it low. He fumbled with the keys, struggling to open the door with his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder, and when he opened the door, he was met with a comfy-looking Louis, wearing a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, smiling adorably.

“Hello, Hazza.”

Harry wasted no time to engulf Louis in a tight hug, feeling the tears pooling up again as Louis hugged him just as fervently.

“You were missing… I was worried…”

Louis kissed his ear. “I’m sorry, baby. But I’m here now.”

Harry nodded, pulling away and instantly entwined their hands together, pulling him inside. He locked the door and dragged Louis to his room, basically throwing him on the bed and snuggled up beside him. He wrapped his arms around Louis, resting his head against his chest, feeling himself smiling as Louis laughed, the vibrations soothing his nerves. He felt Louis kissed the top of his head, his hand gently caressing his curls while the other rubbed his forearm splayed on his stomach. In that intimate moment, Harry momentarily forgot about their distress, about the distance they had to endure, and about the possible obstacles that would surely come their way. They both fell into a comfortable silent, curled up against each other, and it strengthened Harry’s resolve.

“Lou?”

“Yeah?”

Harry looked up, finding those clear, navy eyes staring back at him. “I want this, with you. I want a future with you.”

Louis beamed, his eyes glimmered with hope and happiness. “Yeah? I want it too, baby. I want everything with you.”

Harry bit his bottom lip, leaning to rest his forehead on Louis’ collarbone. “But we need to deal with this separation first.”

Louis took a deep breath, Harry’s words weighing heavily in the air. They both wanted each other, but Louis was not a fool. He knew distance would cause a stir in their relationship, and he’s sure Harry knew too. Trust wasn’t an issue, at least for Louis, because he trusted Harry more than anything. He’s worried about Harry falling into his vulnerable state again and doubted their relationship, so he needed Harry’s words. He sat up straighter, dragging Harry along. Harry looked at him in confusion, but melted when Louis thumbed his cheeks.

“Baby?”

They’d been together almost three years, but that nickname never failed to make the butterflies in his stomach flutter, making him sigh in contentment. He stared into Louis’ eyes, getting a little bit intimidated by the intense determination shown within those beautiful eyes.

“I trust you.” Harry gulped. “More than anything. I promise I will never do anything that’ll make you doubt my love for you or our relationship, and I promise that 5-hour distance will not stop me from coming back to you.” Louis’ gaze was intense, and if it wasn’t for the strong but gentle grip on his face, Harry would’ve looked away. “We’ll have problems, yes, I won’t deny it, but I _need_ you to be with me in this, love.” Louis’ expression softened, his eyes projecting vulnerability, something that Harry had never seen before. “I _need_ you to tell me that you’re on board, I _need_ you to fight with me, because I can’t do this alone, Harry.” He rested his forehead against Harry’s, eyes closing and voice barely a whisper. “ _Please_.”

Harry _heard_ the desperation, the silent beg from the crack in Louis’ voice. He _heard_ the howl of cries inside Louis’ chest, screaming for him to _stay_. He knew they’ll be affected, but he saw the proof of a working relationship right in front of his eyes in the form of Niall and Olivia, even though they rarely met. He witnessed first-hand the problems they faced, mostly misunderstandings and miscommunications, but they always made amends with each other because “when you really love someone, you’ll do anything to make things work”, Niall said. He _really loved_ Louis, and he believed with his whole heart that Louis felt the same, or more. He leaned in, kissing Louis full on the lips, their lips moving in sync before he pulled away slightly, staring directly into Louis’ clouded ocean eyes.

“I won’t leave, Lou. I promise.” He kissed the tip of Louis’ nose, and then his forehead. “This is _our_ story, _our_ fight.” He grabbed Louis’ hand, interlocking their fingers together. “I’ll stay with you until the end.”

Louis smiled that heart-warming smile, the crinkles at the corner of his eyes making an appearance. “Thank you, love.” He kissed his lips softly. “I love you, so much.”

Harry smiled against their pressed lips. “I love you too, just as much.”

They laid on the bed cuddled up with each other, limbs tangled like spring coils. Harry had a content smile on his lips as he closed his eyes, basking in the scent of Louis, wrapped in his comfort and warmth. Louis, on the other hand, was staring out the glass door, his mind going through possible scenarios of what could happen, each one getting worse from the previous ones, and he unconsciously tightened his grip, only loosening it when he felt Harry stir in his sleep. He kissed his head, smiling softly when Harry settled down, breathing evenly. He pressed another kiss on top of his head.

  


“I’ll make sure we survive, babe. Just trust me.”

Though challenges were bound to happen, Louis was certain that they’d make it through, as long as they held onto each other and never let go. He went to sleep with that thought, drifting off to a dreamland where he and Harry lived together in the distant future, happily ever after with kids, a dog and a cat, along with their best friends and families.

Really, _what could go wrong?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, what could go wrong?
> 
> What do you think will happen when they're in different colleges? I'd love to know your ideas and insights :) who knows, you might be right.
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


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